Shades of Violet
by mesmerizedbyceruleaneyes
Summary: SaraleguiXYuuri. Saralegui has two faces. So far, Yuuri has seen only one. But now, Saralegui has inadvertently revealed his darker side in an effort to save the younger king. Saracentric; loosely based on third season anime. Rating may go up.
1. Mauve

**Shades of Violet**

_**One: **__**Mauve**_

_This is too easy_, thought Saralegui, almost contemptuous. His smile masked his inner emotions perfectly, and the soukoku barely an inch away had no clue of them at all.

Yuuri's eyes were wide as they stared into the blonde's calm gold orbs behind his violet-tinted spectacles. The other boy's cheeks were distinctly flushed, even after taking into account their combined body heat and close quarters inside the uncomfortable wooden coffin.

Saralegui banished the urge to smirk in triumph. The Maou was completely in his power, albeit not hypnotically. The young king of Shou Shimaron had more to him than his immense houryoku – he was beautiful, and he knew it. By now, Yuuri knew it too.

It hadn't really taken much work from the blonde himself. Yuuri gave him so many opportunities to get close to the soukoku – that time at the dance in Dai Shimaron, for one. Saralegui had not expected the Maou to attend, and certainly not in a dress. He did have to admit it was a disguise of some merit, though Yuuri's klutziness and voice gave him away too easily… otherwise, the Maou might just have passed for a girl.

Then he'd come to Caloria to visit Flynn Gilbert. Timing his own arrival to coincide with the Mazoku's had not been difficult. An apology, a reminder of their previous meeting and a suggestion of allying Shou Shimaron with Shin Makoku was all it took; Yuuri agreed to come to his kingdom almost immediately.

Once there, Saralegui had worked on him nearly constantly. The day Yuuri and his retainers had arrived, he'd offered them the use of his palace's hot spring baths. Naturally, he'd known very well that only a few would be able to enter the place, as full of houryoku as it was.

At the memory, the blonde had to suppress a grin. Yuuri was just so _easy_…

**(Flashback)**

"Sh-sheep?!" The soukoku's eyebrows twitched violently as three sheep brushed past him on their way into the baths.

"Sheep baths are something the Shimaron area is famous for, after all," said the orange-haired man whose name Saralegui had not bothered to remember.

"Indeed, that is the case," agreed the blonde, emerging from the changing rooms behind them. "Yuuri, I apologize for being late, but there were some matters of state…"

"Oh, um, no, don't worry, we're fine, really," stuttered Yuuri, blushing so dark that it was obvious even through the fog of steam that filled the room.

The other soukoku, the one everyone called the Great Sage for some reason, gripped the Maou's shoulder. "Shibuya, I think the heat's getting to you," he said lightly. "Do you feel alright?"

"Um… yes, yes I do…" Yuuri grinned with false brightness at his friends, though the color in his face did not fade.

Saralegui hid a smile at the other king's obvious discomfiture and instead put a worried expression on his face as he drew closer to the Mazoku. "Yuuri, are you sure you're okay? I'm sorry; these baths probably would have such an effect on you, since they're powered with houryoku…"

"No, really, I'm fine." The Maou rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Sorry to make you worry about me, Sara. Let's go into the water, shall we?"

The blonde smiled, pretending to be relieved. Of course, he'd known that the presence of houseki and houryoku didn't affect Yuuri. "Okay. This is the first pool; the water's temperature rises progressively from this pool to the last one, so that we're accustomed to the heat."

"Just like those huge onsen baths on Earth!" Yuuri happily splashed into the pool, swimming over to the seats built into the walls. "Ah, it's been _so_ long since I've gone to an onsen…"

"There are hot springs in Shin Makoku, your Majesty," the orange-haired man informed his king as the rest of them followed. "You could just have asked."

"But Yozak, it's not the same! They're…" The chatter continued, but Saralegui did not join in. Instead, he sat a little apart from them, soaking silently in the water. Hot spring baths were, to him, a place to relax and think in peace… though it didn't seem that he'd be getting much peace anytime soon.

He could feel Yuuri's eyes tracing his skin and concealed a smirk. _Maa… this _is_ part of the plan, and it's working just as I predicted._ _He's already half in love with me._ Flipping a lock of his hair delicately, he closed his eyes in satisfaction, knowing that the Maou watched as if hypnotized. _Yes, Yuuri, that's the spirit… fall into my power, dear Maou, and enjoy yourself there._

**(End Flashback)**

Yes, the much-feared Maou was really such a pushover. Saralegui made sure his inward amusement did not show; it certainly wouldn't do for Yuuri to start wondering why _Sara_ was so happy being hunted down by his own men, now would it?

He was actually quite proud of his earlier display in the fire escape. Yuuri had been entirely convinced that he'd had no idea of Gerald being a traitor, though in truth Saralegui knew well that the old man was in Lanzhil's pay. Still, hugging the soukoku had proven to have less effect than he'd expected; the Maou had surprisingly kept his wits about him.

Either way, Yuuri did not suspect the blonde in the least, instead promising repeatedly that his retainers would rescue them both. His faith in them was astonishingly strong. _Fool. All your retainers know not to trust me. Do you honestly think they would rescue _me_ as well? They would much rather leave me to rot. And if I were in your place,_ I _would leave me to rot too. No king would trust another ruler so easily…_

Noticing that the Maou was trembling slightly, perhaps from fear, adrenaline, or even anticipation, Saralegui decided to break the taut silence. "Yuuri, what kind of place is your country?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

He'd chosen the question not just because it was totally unrelated to their current situation, therefore ideal for diverting the Maou's thoughts away from their physical closeness (it was the host's duty to make sure his guests felt comfortable), but also because he was genuinely curious. Was it so perfect a country that its king could give his trust so easily?

Yuuri blinked, laughing guiltily in the knowledge that he'd been caught staring. The blonde ignored it, continuing enthusiastically, "Yes! Yuuri, tell me about your castle!"

The soukoku sweatdropped. "What are you talking about at a time like this?"

'_A time like this'? In what sense, Yuuri? A time when we're in the same room as soldiers who would have our necks if they find us? Or a time when we're close enough to kiss?_ Saralegui smiled innocently. "I want to know."

"Hmm… well… It's a warm place," began the Maou.

"'Warm'?" repeated the blonde. _Is his castle on the coast, that the weather is always mild? But the way he uses it… does 'warm' have another meaning apart from the one related to heat?_

"It's called Blood Pledge Castle," he explained. "A dangerous-sounding name, but to me, it's a precious place. Everyone in the castle is like family to me… Well, I really have a daughter there, but still."

"'A daughter'? You have a child, Yuuri?" Saralegui allowed his surprise to show. _I'd only heard of his being engaged, but nothing of a marriage. _He shook his head inwardly. _A precious place, indeed. It is only the place where you work. Typical of you, feeling affection towards a building and those who serve you there._

The soukoku chuckled. "She's adopted. It's a long story."

_Again, typical. You _would_ be the sort to want to clear the orphanages._ "That's amazing," he whispered admiringly. "Yuuri, you really are loved by many people."

"It… it's not really like that," protested the Maou softly. Smiling, he added, "My mom always told me to get along well with everyone."

"'Mom'?" The young king tasted the unfamiliar word, slowly rolling it in his mouth. Had he ever used it before?

"Yeah. My mother," clarified Yuuri helpfully.

Saralegui's eyes widened, his control slipping for an instant, and he opened his mouth as if about to say something. Almost immediately, though, he decided against it and closed it again. He looked down, not wanting to meet Yuuri's friendly gaze. _Mother… _

There was a noise outside the coffin, and both of them stiffened. Someone – several someones – gasped; the searchers seemed to be right next to them. "T-they're not here," said one.

"Yeah," agreed another.

"Let's go!" Footsteps sounded, fading away – the men were leaving. Soon, the sound of the large, main door slamming shut echoed through the room.

They waited for a few seconds, just to be sure, before slowly pushing the lid of the coffin open and sitting up. "Just as narrow as you'd expect, huh," remarked Yuuri ironically. Saralegui didn't reply, and both of them leapt out, landing easily on the floor.

A moment later, Yuuri's revolted exclamation of "Ugh!" called the blonde's attention to the coffin the searchers had left open. Going over, he slid it shut, silently thanking the wasted corpse for scaring away the soldiers… though, of course, he had planned that.

He addressed the soukoku. "It went well, didn't it, Yuuri?"

"Is that okay? I mean, they nearly hit the mark," said the Maou, sounding rather worried.

Saralegui smiled cheerfully in reply. Yuuri blinked and chuckled a little uncertainly; it seemed that the Maou had gotten the hint that the other king had planned the searchers to encounter the disgusting corpse. "And… what do we do now?"

The blonde straightened, puting his hand to his chin in an expression of deep thought. "Hmm…" _Yes, my room would be best. I want to talk with him some more before I let him escape and the men take me captive. They'll find us eventually, but there should be enough time for me to hear about his mother._

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Carefully, Saralegui pushed his room's door open, quickly checking for intruders. Seeing none, he stepped back, allowing the Maou in.

"Where's this?" asked Yuuri, looking around the red-tinted room with interest.

He closed the door, watching Yuuri the whole time. "It's my room."

The soukoku jumped. "Eh?!"

Saralegui chuckled softly, walking past the shocked soukoku and leaning on the ornate metal rail of the stairs leading up to the large window. "They won't expect me to be in my own room," he explained.

"Ah, I see! 'Missing the forest for the trees', right?" Yuuri smiled brightly and walked into the center of the room. "So this is your room, Sara!" He craned his neck, looking everywhere at once.

The blonde allowed him a few seconds to admire the elaborate decorations before speaking. "Yuuri."

"Hm?" The Maou glanced at him in curiosity.

"About what you were saying before… I'd like to hear more about your mother," said Saralegui. His voice was quiet and earnest. This wasn't part of his plan, exactly, but…

_I want to know about his mother. Maybe it's because of his mother that he can trust people so easily; maybe it's because _I _don't have a mother that… I can't. I… I just want to know… what a mother should be, what I missed in not having one… I want to know…_

"Huh?" Yuuri seemed to be taken aback. "Oh, it's nothing that important, but…" Approaching the blonde king, he sat down on the stairs, quite close to Saralegui. "My mother's on Earth… That is to say, very far away."

_I decide what is important here, _thought the young ruler of Shou Shimaron. _And no matter where this place called 'Earth' is, it can't be further away than death… well, not that _my_ mother died… Or did she? I don't know._

The soukoku was still talking. "'When you talk to someone, look at them in the eye!' and 'Make sure to greet people in a loud voice!'… She'd always nag me about those kinds of things."

Saralegui's spectacles caught the light, glinting like mirrors that hid his eyes as he looked down. _What are 'those kinds of things'? This is the first time I've heard of rules like that. I learned those on my own. I learned almost _everything_ on my own._

"It really is a pain," said Yuuri after a short but pregnant pause, closing his eyes to emphasize his point. Then, as if it had only just occurred to him, he looked at the blonde in puzzlement. "But why do you ask?"

It was with real pain that made his voice falter ever so slightly as he answered, "I don't have a mother."

The Maou's eyes widened. "What…?"

Saralegui did not meet his concern-filled eyes, focusing instead at a point on the floor in front of him. "I wondered what a mother might be like… My father never talked about it with me. Of course, since childhood, my father was always a distant presence."

Memories flooded him, flashing vividly in his mind's eye. The many faceless maids that surrounded him, hands bearing an extensive variety of toys – none of which interested him. The young lady assigned to be his personal maid, holding his hand as they walked the palace corridors. The envy he felt at the sight of a kitchen girl cradling her newborn and crooning a lullaby, her face alit with affection… and the sense of being lost and alone that blanketed them all.

His lips tightened almost imperceptibly, his smile for once absent from his features. _No, I was _not_ envious. Not at all._

"You… don't remember your mother at all?" ventured Yuuri hesitantly.

The blonde's smile reappeared almost immediately, albeit it was a tiny one. "Sometimes I dream about her," he admitted. It was always the same dream, over and over again… "In the dreams, I'm held in someone's arms. I remember the warmth of those arms, and the sound of the sea…"

Everything was white – the sand, the sky, the birds, even the arms that held him. _His_ arms were white. Only that collar… that black collar, and those two green-and-gold spheres that bobbed above him… only those had color. The person who held him was all white, and she seemed to shimmer in the sunlight…

"But I don't know if that's my mother or not," he finished quietly. The pain ate at him, salt on an unhealed wound. His smile had vanished again, but this time it did not return.

"Yuuri, you're always surrounded by people..." The soukoku started, about to say something, but Saralegui spoke first. He closed his eyes in an effort to hide his pain. "But I am always alone." Salt stung at the corners of his eyes; somehow, he managed to restrain tears from escaping.

There was a movement next to him. "I'm here," declared Yuuri, standing. The blonde's eyes opened wide in surprise. "From now on, I'm here. I'm your friend, Sara!"

Saralegui blinked, his mouth falling open in shock. _Nobody's _ever_ said that to me. Nobody… a friend… I've never had a friend._

He blinked twice more, fiercely banishing the tears that threatened to make themselves known, then met the Maou's determined gaze. "Yuuri…" A real smile lit up his features, and gratefulness shone from his eyes. "Thank you, Yuuri…"

Their gazes met, and time seemed to slow. An irrational thought slipped into Saralegui's head as he drank in the care, trust and support in Yuuri's eyes – _Maybe _I_ could love him. Maybe _this_ is love._

Then the doors slammed open, and the spell was broken. Soldiers rushed in. "They're here!"

Both of them hurriedly backed up the stairs, putting as much distance as possible between them and the soldiers. "Dammit!" exclaimed the Maou, about to dash forward and try his luck at fighting the crowd of blue-uniformed men, but the other king stopped him with a hand on his chest.

_Good. They found my handkerchief,_ thought Saralegui, in his element once again. _Exactly according to plan. _"Yuuri, run away!" he shouted, shoving the soukoku backwards.

The window, which he had made sure was unlocked earlier, flew open, and Yuuri fell hard onto the roof beneath. "_Whoa_! _Aaaaaaaah_!" His cries were fading fast. "_Sara~_!"

Saralegui, King of Shou Shimaron, watched calmly as the Maou hurtled down the steep roof. _Go on, Yuuri. You'll rescue me later, won't you? I'll be waiting – so don't make me wait long._

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**A/N:**** Alright, this is my my second KKM fanfic… hopefully this goes down better than the first. :-X**

**I've had this bunny for a while, and it just wouldn't leave me alone… so here it is. Saracentric SaraXYuuri, since all the few SaraXYuuri fics I've seen are always Yuuricentric. I hope you like it :-X it's a sort of combination of the first OVA episode and the third season, mainly episode 96 (season 3 episode 18).**

**Saralegui's kinda slutty here… but that was the impression I got from him. He's the sort who'd manipulate you however he can… (-ahem- hypnosis, anyone?) Also, he has the classic smiling poker face. Yup, **_**the**_** smiling poker face. It's amazing what kinds of thoughts you can put behind it. Hopefully I've interpreted him accurately.**

**Should I make this a multichapter? I was thinking of going on to the next episode, then making it a bit AU (sorta like LaChoy's fic Close). Tell me what you think!**

**Please Review!**


	2. Purple

_**Two: Purple**_

Berias would come to get him later on – Saralegui was sure of it. The swordsman was extremely protective of his charge. But if Yuuri lived up to his promise… _You said you'd be there for me. Let's see, then. Will you risk your neck and those of your_ beloved_ retainers for _my_ sake?_

The door opened, and Gerald walked in, holding a sheet of paper. "You will sign this letter if you know what's good for you," he said, his tone simultaneously threatening and mocking.

Saralegui didn't even bother to look at it. "It says that I wish to hand over the crown to you, doesn't it?"

"Well done, Your Majesty. You are very sharp." Were his words not so full of sarcasm, the man might have been addressing a small child.

_If it weren't for the plan, I would blast that smirk off his face._ "I suppose you are planning to announce that I have abdicated due to illness, and then quietly drop any further news of me after the deed is done," continued the king, his voice as bland as milk.

Gerald started. Clearly it was exactly what he'd planned to do. Recovering, he said quickly, "At any rate, you don't possess the ability to rule over Shou Shimaron in the proper way."

The blonde stared straight ahead, still refusing to acknowledge his former general's presence in the room. _Oh, so what _is_ the proper way? Secede to Dai Shimaron? Fool. As if I would allow such a thing._

It seemed that Gerald wasn't finished. "A mere boy such as yourself who lacks both dignity and skill, just like your late father, is –"

Saralegui's eyes narrowed. _My father, lacking dignity and skill? I might have let you go… but for this, you will pay, you spineless, mindless, toadying _sycophant_._

"It is I…" His glare efficiently shut the man up, but the young king wasn't finished with him yet. "…and only I…" Deliberately, he removed his purple spectacles, setting them down on the table in front of him. "… who is Shou Shimaron's king."

The power within him responded eagerly to his call, swelling up behind his eyeballs, where it prickled hotly and demanded release. Used to the sensation, he slowly opened them, allowing it to shine in its unearthly blue glow. "I will not give up my throne to anyone else."

Gerald tensed; even he could sense that something was happening. Air did not normally hum with such taut anticipation. Air did not normally shiver as though a dissonant chord had been struck when no sound was made. Then again, air was also rarely treated in this way.

He turned his face to the man again. Gerald was obviously struck dumb by the strange goings-on and the even stranger blue of his normally gold eyes. Saralegui reveled in the sense of absolute power that spread throughout his entire being as Gerald's pupils widened, then shrank dramatically. _No will to speak of,_ thought the blonde disdainfully, albeit not allowing his opinions to slip through to the mesmerized general.

Judging that the man was sufficiently infused with his houryoku, the young king retrieved his power, returning it to the place of its origin deep within him. "Now, Gerald," he said softly, "you'll listen to me, won't you?"

The former general nodded, dazed. Mentally grabbing a trailing strand of houryoku, Saralegui wrapped it around the relevant thought-commands and directed it down the newly formed connection between Gerald and himself. _Get out of here. Do not attempt to make me sign the crown to you again. You will regain your consciousness ten feet from these doors, but do not return unless I command it._

"You may leave now," he finished, dismissing him aloud for the benefit of any eavesdroppers.

The man obeyed immediately, walking stiffly out of the room and closing the doors behind him. When Saralegui felt the distance to be approximately ten feet, he intoned, "It is done," the standard phrase to free people (or a particular person) of his will.

He grinned inwardly at the thought of the man's expression on realizing that the paper was still unsigned. Gerald might have been useful in the future, but maintaining such powerful connections took rather a lot of energy, and the blonde didn't think the toady worth such effort.

_So, Yuuri, I'm still waiting. My patience does not last long…_

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Saralegui could feel Berias' presence questing for him. He smiled and closed his eyes, welcoming his trusted guard's gold-colored presence in his mind. _Hello, Berias. Are you sure it's a good idea to use up your houryoku like this? If I needed to talk to you, I would have been able to do so myself. You know it is less taxing on me than on you_

The Berias-sense dimmed, almost as if it were guilty. _Sorry, Your Majesty, but I am worried for you. The Maou has not appeared yet, and I am sure Gerald has already sent for Dai Shimaron. It would not be to your advantage if – _

_Oh, Gerald will pose no threat to us,_ the blonde replied airily. _If anything happens, I can fix him _very_ quickly. As for Yuuri… Well, I suppose you can start breaking out of wherever they've put you now. If the kind and compassionate Maou comes, all the better. If he doesn't…_ Saralegui frowned slightly. _No, he _will_. He is too headstrong for his advisors to control. It is all as I have planned._

_Pardon me for saying so, Your Majesty, but you are equally headstrong._ Berias seemed resigned. _I will begin my fight when Gerald comes in to question me. He has yet to do so, and I expect him soon. I will take my leave now._ The Berias-sense faded swiftly, and Saralegui opened his eyes to his empty room again.

The young king leaned back in his high-backed chair. _Silly of Berias, really. He _knows_ these conversations will cost him_. Then again, it _was_ just like Berias to forget about conserving his energy when anxious about him.

Such conversations were always consuming, but at a close range like now when they were in the same palace and not perhaps at opposite borders of Shou Shimaron, they were only mildly taxing. It was their secret means of communication – using their houryoku.

Saralegui knew that he was a Shinzoku. So was Berias. Neither of them required houseki to perform houjutsu. They themselves were _living_ houseki – or, more accurately, their houryoku was a part of their physical makeup, not an external, additional appendage. The most highly skilled houjutsu users in the kingdom refused to fight this extraordinarily powerful king at all costs, which was one of the few reasons why Shou Shimaron had not been torn by civil war in the two years since he had ascended the throne.

Of all the houjutsu users – the priests, the warriors, the healers, and so on – few, if any, knew about the existence of the Shinzoku. They were humans, after all, and none were alive that could recall of a time before the when humans known as gods lived in their closed community of Seisakoku. In fact, Seisakoku itself was a name only found in the dustiest tomes in the palace's library – two thousand years was a long time to be shut off from the world, and located far away from the continents where Dai Shimaron and Shin Makoku fought tooth and nail over every scrap of land, it was all too easy to forget.

Perhaps the world had forgotten Seisakoku, but Seisakoku did not simply fade out of existence – it was still there, still alive, still thriving. Berias was a prime example. An excellent Shinzoku warrior and houjutsu swordsman, he had for some reason crossed the leagues between Seisakoku and Shou Shimaron, all for the sole purpose of kneeling before a five-year-old blonde boy and pledging his life in service to him… to anyone else, it would be pure madness. To Berias, it was simply carrying out his duty.

People thought him out of his mind, to accept an unknown like Berias as his personal bodyguard. But the man's skills, seriousness, sincerity and obedience made a strong impression on Saralegui. None of the other men assigned to guard him had ever treated him as anything apart from a bratty little prince who needed guarding in case he fell into the fishpond.

The year the prince turned ten, he had demanded to be told the reason why Berias served him. Not Shou Shimaron, not King Gilbert, nobody but _him_, Saralegui and Saralegui alone. And Berias had finally told him… albeit the young prince could tell that there was more that his guard and constant shadow for the past five years had left unspoken. It was still more than he'd ever thought to know.

According to Berias, the ruler of Seisakoku had ordered him to find and protect a prince called Saralegui who was the son of King Gilbert of Shou Shimaron and the Shinzoku princess, Alazon.

_According to Berias_, that is. Not that the young king didn't trust his personal guard of more than a decade, but the story _was_ quite farfetched. His mother may have been Shinzoku, but not a princess. What princess would be allowed away from her own country, particularly when it was closed to the outside world? It was rather too perfect, too good to be true. More likely, the woman had been banished from Seisakoku for some sort of crime and Berias was her relative come to take care of the child she had left behind.

He had never asked Berias about his reasons again, though.

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Footsteps sounded outside his door, and someone tested the handle. Saralegui looked up, then smirked triumphantly. _You _did_ come in the end. I knew you would, eventually. Nice to see you keep your word._

The door swung open, and as expected, the Maou's head poked into the room. The rest of him quickly followed. "Sara!"

"Yuuri!" The blonde put on an delighted expression, standing and walking swiftly towards the other king. "You really came!"

Yuuri smiled brightly, obviously happy that _Sara_ was so pleased. "I promised that we'd always be together, remember?"

"Yuuri!" repeated Saralegui, matching the soukoku's joy smile for smile and taking the Maou's hands in his own. _I could definitely find work in any of those groups of travelling actors. Not that I'd ever need to, but that's not the point._

"This is no time for that!" scolded the blonde Mazoku who had accompanied Yuuri – the Maou's fiancée, Wolfram, if Saralegui remembered correctly.

"Hurry it up, Your Majesty!" added the other, orange-haired man. Both of them raced away, probably to fend off the soldiers coming their way.

"They're right! Let's run for it!" Yuuri quickly made his way after his retainers, with the other king at his heels.

Minutes later, they skidded to a halt in the sheltered walkway around the inner courtyard. Berias and Conrad faced each other not ten feet away from them, with their swords drawn and killing intent in their eyes.

Yuuri's eyes widened in dismay. "Stop, Conrad!"

Neither man moved. Saralegui's brows crinkled slightly. "That's enough, Berias," he commanded.

At this, Berias stood straight, lowering his swords. "Your Majesty." Conrad also relaxed, turning to face them with a tiny smile.

"Honestly," commented Yozak, starting towards his comrade.

Both Conrad and Berias sheathed their swords, returning to their respective masters. Berias knelt in front of his king. "Are you unhurt?"

Saralegui smiled reassuringly. "Yes."

"Thank goodness!" said Yuuri in heartfelt relief. "You two looked ready to kill each other."

"We were," admitted Conrad.

The Maou looked startled. _Naïve as usual,_ thought the blonde, his expression carefully neutral.

Conrad was still speaking. "That's what it means to protect someone important to us." He tensed, turning towards the door. The other warriors followed suit.

Seconds later, uniformed men-at-arms appeared at the doors on either side. "There they are! Surround them!"

From one door, Gerald walked out, surrounded by his men. He smirked upon seeing them. "Well, if it isn't the Maou," he mocked. "I admit I am surprised to see you back here." As he spoke, the men around him advanced on the little group.

Yuuri laughed nervously. "They've found us."

The next moment, Berias was speeding down the corridor, unsheathing his swords as he went. The men-at-arms fell like ninepins before his swift attack. Within seconds, one of his swords was pressed warningly against the side of Gerald's throat. "Whoever dares to threaten King Saralegui is my enemy."

"Sir Berias!" exclaimed the remaining men-at-arms in shock.

Saralegui watched in satisfaction. Beside him, Yuuri commented, "Wow… Now that's impressive…"

Just then, an unintelligible roar sounded from without the castle. Gerald shifted uncomfortably. "What's that noise?"

Moments later, innumerable men on horseback and wearing Shou Shimaron's uniform entered the courtyard at a trot. Amongst them, Saralegui recognized the other soukoku and the long-haired man, both of whom were part of Yuuri's entourage. In front of them all was an older, bearded man who also looked familiar. _Good. Lord Montal got my message in time. I knew he'd come at once._

"King Saralegui! Are you all right?" The man, who had always been somewhat like an uncle to the young king, shot him a concerned look before turning on the traitorous general. "Gerald, you lowlife fiend! You have nowhere else to run! The rest of you as well, give yourselves in!"

Berias released his captive, allowing him to slump to the ground, as Gerald's men dropped their weapons in surrender. Lord Montal's men raised a cheer, which echoed throughout the castle.

"From the looks of this crowd, I'd say that the King of Shou Shimaron is surprisingly popular," remarked someone behind him.

"Seems that way," agreed someone else.

As it was, the said king felt similarly awed too. _I underestimated Lord Montal. He raised _this_ many men, at such short notice… Then again, there are certain implications as well. I may have to review the number of soldiers the border lords are allowed to have in their service._

A hand brushed gently against his arm, and he glanced around to see Yuuri smiling at him. "Look around you, Sara. They all came to protect you! You aren't alone at all, Sara!"

_Not alone_… Saralegui realized that his mouth was hanging open in a very inelegant manner and quickly closed it, masking his shock with his usual smile. _I wish._

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**(Flashback)**

A little boy, barely five years of age, crouched on his haunches near a bed of vibrant purple flowers. He watched disconsolately as a pair of pale pink butterflies fluttered onto the flowers, landing on one for a second or so, then taking off again.

He had just come from an audience with his father. At that audience, the king had formally announced that his mother was not going to return to the palace any more.

His mother… He could easily recall her touch, her scent, her clothes, but for some reason, her face always eluded his memory. He hadn't seen her for a long time already; the servants whispered that she had died, had eloped, had been kidnapped, but this was the first time his father had said anything on the matter to him.

Now that it was official, he felt so… abandoned. That last ray of hope, that his mother would eventually come back to him, had just been cruelly extinguished by his father's stern expression and solemn words: _Your mother will not return to us. You will not see her again, Saralegui._

Measured footsteps sounded, announcing the arrival of another person to the courtyard. He did not turn; whoever it was probably did not concern him. The courtiers and servants generally ignored him as they went about their business.

Suddenly, the butterflies took to the air, fluttering agitatedly. Only then did he realize that the person who had been making those footsteps was now standing two feet away from him. He looked up, surprised and wary – strangers didn't often come so close to him unless they wanted something from him.

The first thing he noticed was the stranger's boots, since they _were_ at his eye level. They were brown and well worn, coated with dust from hard riding. This person had travelled a significant distance before coming here.

Next, he saw the man's black riding gloves and dark clothes. Everything about this person, even his hair and eyes, were either black or dark-colored. He'd never seen anyone quite so dark before. The only part of the man that did not conform to this rule was his skin, which appeared to be pale but was currently in shadow so he couldn't quite tell.

What really drew his eyes, though, were the twin swords the man bore. They seemed shorter than the swords he'd seen on the courtiers, and their handles showed signs of long use. He'd never seen anyone wearing two swords before, and concluded that this person must have twice the skill of those who used only one – he could use one in each hand, simultaneously.

Then the man addressed him. "Prince Saralegui."

The boy started; he'd thought this person might have intended to ask for directions, not speak to him. And how did he know his name…?

Kneeling before him, the man continued, "My name is Berias." He bowed his head. "I swear my eternal allegiance to you."

**(End Flashback)**

"Berias." Saralegui's voice was quiet.

"Yes, Your Majesty?"

"You said, when I ascended the throne, that you'd follow me anywhere. No matter what path I choose." The young king's voice betrayed no emotion at all. "I will now ask something of you, something you will likely not approve of. My plans require me to place my life on the line. Can I trust that you will do exactly as I say?"

Berias' forehead creased as his eyebrows drew together. "I will follow you and support you in every way I can; I will obey your commands to the letter."

"Good. When the time comes, I shall call upon you." Saralegui smiled slightly. "You may need to kill me – or rather, _appear_ to kill me. The Maou must believe that I would protect him with my life."

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**A/N:**** OMG. I DID IT. I ACTUALLY GOT ANOTHER CHAPTER DONE IN TIME FOR THE NEW YEAR.**

**Well, perhaps not **_**quite**_** in time… but what's a few hours between friends? XD At least we start 2009 with a bang!**

**As you can see, the AU part starts from here. The whole thing about Saralegui's past is a figment of my imagination. The rest of this fic will be based loosely on the anime, but there will be significant amendments later on. For now, it still sticks quite closely to the anime… this was episode 97 ^^**

**Sorry there was so little SaraYuu here as compared to the first chapter. This was rather more like BeriasXSara instead… but rest assured that this fic is still SaraYuu; it's just more Saracentric than Yuucentric. =)**

**Please review! Reviews make me inspired and I'll update faster!**


	3. Lavender

_**Three: Lavender**_

"Your Majesty!" The soldier's discomfort was obvious; his voice quavered as he spoke.

"What is it?" inquired Saralegui, though he had a good idea of what the man had come to report.

"Dai Shimaron's messengers have arrived!" announced the soldier.

_Predictable. _Impassive, the king replied, "Alright."

His duty done, the soldier lost no time in leaving. Saralegui turned back to the group of Mazoku. "I will go alone to convince them," he told them, calmly confident.

"No way!" protested Yuuri. "I can't let you handle this all by yourself!"

"Taking you with me is out of the question, though, Yuuri," pointed out the blonde. _You would be more of a hindrance than a help. Stay out of this._

Another voice interrupted just as they were about to exit the room. "I agree with Shibuya. It would be better if we went along with you," said the other soukoku called the Great Sage. The other men looked surprised by this comment, but he continued, "I'd like to hear how Dai Shimaron reacts to the news… without them knowing that we're in the same room, of course."

_Hmm. This one is shrewd... he doesn't trust me an inch. Obviously, their coming to observe my audience with Dai Shimaron's messengers is more to gain insight on my abilities than for the purpose he stated._ Saralegui frowned, almost imperceptibly. _I cannot betray them to Lanzhil if they are present._ _Still, I cannot refuse them. Let's see… Gerald may well prove useful. With his help, I can _reveal_ the Maou to these messengers without appearing to have contrived to do so._

_Seems like it's time I pay a visit to an old _friend_… Where did I imprison Gerald again?_

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The former general was not exactly thrilled by the visit. His voice grated with surprise and a little fear as he spoke. "Saralegui!"

_Impudent bastard. Does he think he need to address me by my title?_ The king pretended not to have noticed, instead advancing further into the room as Berias closed the door behind to prevent the guards from spying.

Too quickly, Gerald's expression changed from apprehensive to condescending. "What is it now? Have you decided on my punishment? Or will you have me act as a mediator between you and King Lanzhil?"

Saralegui suppressed his irritation. "It is neither of those, Gerald," he replied coolly. "I want you to be of some service to me for a little while longer." As he spoke, he removed his tinted spectacles, baring his tawny gold eyes. His houryoku rose swiftly at his summons, pooling behind his eyes and flooding out of them to swirl around the man before him.

The former general trembled visibly as the air thrummed and vibrated with saturated power. His eyes jittered for a moment, then dimmed as he was overwhelmed by the sheer intensity of Saralegui's houryoku.

This being the second time he had mesmerized Gerald, the man's will collapsed even faster than before. _You will break in to the throne room tonight. I will call you when you are needed. You will pretend to attack me, but will not succeed._ The thought-commands sped across the link between them, and the blonde embedded the connection into Gerald's mind, such that he could command the man at will, before withdrawing his power. "Well, Gerald, it's up to you now."

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Later that evening, the king of Shou Shimaron sat stiffly on his throne, awaiting the entrance of Dai Shimaron's representatives. His expression was serious, but only his superb self-control prevented him from fidgeting restlessly in his seat. Something was niggling at his conscience and he did _not_ like the feeling of it at all.

_I don't want to give Yuuri to Lanzhil._

Doubt could be _very_ uncomfortable. He'd never doubted himself before. Why was he starting now, at this extremely inconvenient time?

_Yuuri. My friend. My _first_ friend. Can't I keep him? Lanzhil is a dirty old man. I don't want him to touch Yuuri. Yuuri's _mine_._

This certainly wasn't part of the plan. He intended to betray the Maou and present King Lanzhil with his most hated enemy. Lanzhil would be so happy, he might just stop pestering Shou Shimaron for money, men, food, trade…

_But Yuuri's _mine_, and Lanzhil can jolly well keep his filthy paws off him_.

Why were those messengers taking so long? The longer he waited, the more insistent the tiny voice in his head that demanded him to change his plans…

_It wouldn't be _that_ hard. Just fool those messengers, cut the connection to Gerald, let the whole audience go smoothly with them leaving without any proof that Yuuri is here…_

Then the door opened, admitting two men wearing the colors and crest of Dai Shimaron. _I can't turn back now. _Silently, the blonde sent a thought-command to Gerald – _it's time._

The two men halted in front of the dais and bowed deeply. As they straightened, one of them said, "King Saralegui, we have arrived here with an order from our king, Lanzhil the Second. It is commanded that you relinquish to us the Maou, to whom you are giving refuge."

"The Maou?" Saralegui feigned surprise. "What in the world are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb!" The other man stepped forward, his face contorting in annoyance. "We received this information from a reliable source!"

"The absurdities that someone has been telling you are none of my concern, but I cannot give to you what does not exist here," answered the blonde. "Please leave."

Just then, the door burst open, and Gerald tottered into the room. In his hand was a drawn sword. He was panting hard, his eyes dilated and his steps shaky. Saralegui concealed his satisfaction with an expression of shock. "Gerald?!"

The man's breath rasped in his throat. With an effort, he focused on the king. "Saralegui." His voice had a demented fixation in it, and the blonde absently wondered if Gerald had rushed here at breakneck speed in response to his call – it might explain the former general's labored breathing and unsteadiness.

Gerald tightened his grip on his sword and, with a grunt of effort, threw himself down the room towards the dais. "Berias, protect the messengers," ordered Saralegui.

"Sir." His guard leapt down, none-too-gently pushing the two men to one side and drawing his swords when Gerald did not cease his advance.

"Wait, Berias," commanded the king, standing. "Continue to defend the messengers in the same manner as you are doing now."

"Sir." Berias faced the former general again, still tensed to attack at the slightest notice, but did not move from his position.

Gerald paused a step away from the blonde, panting heavily, his sword poised to strike yet seemed to have no energy to carry it through. _You will not hurt me!_ Saralegui reinforced the command with slightly more houryoku than he normally used, then jumped lightly off the dais in the direction of the panels where the Mazoku were concealed. The man belatedly gave pursuit.

A smirk formed on the Saralegui's lips. _Now, Yuuri, aren't you going to protect me?_ He turned, putting his back against the panels and facing his attacker.

Gerald let out a strangled shout, raising his sword clumsily and cutting downwards. "Your Majesty!" Berias, protective as always, abandoned the messengers to rush to his master's aid.

"_Stop_!" shouted someone else. One of the panels flew open as the Maou himself tumbled out, falling at the blonde king's feet. Saralegui bent to help him up, simultaneously commanding Gerald, _Notice the Maou; comment on his presence._

Immediately, the man paused in his advance, staring unfocusedly at the soukoku. "The Maou!" he gasped.

"That's –"

"The soukoku!" The messengers had apparently noticed the Maou as well.

Yuuri's retainers quickly stepped between the two kings and their attacker, but before they could draw their swords, Berias had already disarmed Gerald and knocked him unconscious. Now, though, the messengers drew their own swords. "Th-the Maou…!"

"He _is_ here after all!" accused one, poising himself to attack.

"That black hair and those black eyes… It can only be him!" added his companion.

_Does nobody like black hair and black eyes?_ wondered Saralegui, rather irrationally. Yuuri seemed quite dismayed by this turn of events; the rest of his retainers stayed silent and expressionless, waiting for Dai Shimaron's representatives to say more.

Recovering slightly from the shock, one messenger declared, "W-we order you, King Saralegui, to personally bring the Maou to our encampment! Tomorrow, before the sun sets!"

"If you refuse, Shou Shimaron will suffer severe consequences!" added the other. Both of them left the room at a run, slamming the doors shut behind them.

_Perfect. _Saralegui allowed himself a small smile. Then, schooling his features into a more remorseful look, he apologized to the rest of the room's occupants, "I'm sorry. I didn't expect Gerald to do something like that. The ship is ready for your departure. All of you should escape here by sea, as we'd originally planned."

"But what about you, Sara?" Worry was clear in Yuuri's face. "They know I'm here now. You can't fool them anymore!"

The blonde fought to conceal his smirk. _I knew you wouldn't want to leave.__ You are _so_ predictable, Yuuri. I love that._ Aloud, he conceded, "I suppose not…"

"And then… if this sparks a war between Shou Shimaron and Dai Shimaron… I don't want that to happen!" Yuuri was clearly distressed. "I won't run away! Please, hand me over to Dai Shimaron!"

_Brave, or simply foolish? I can't tell. _Saralegui kept his expression one of concern as the other Mazoku spoke up against their king.

"Your Majesty, how could you –" began Conrad.

"Do you have any idea what will happen to you if we did that?!" demanded Wolfram, self-appointed fiancée of the Maou.

"I do," said Yuuri fiercely. "I do, but…"

The blonde king closed his eyes in resignation. _Headstrong fool of a king. Still, that really makes life easier for me. _He got to his feet. "Yuuri. Lanzhil is after your life." His voice was stern, his expression serious. "I cannot do what you ask of me."

"But if I don't go, you..." Yuuri's eyes were filled with determination. "You and everyone in Shou Shimaron will be in danger!"

_You and everyone in Shou Shimaron will be in danger._ Saralegui stared at the soukoku, shock written all over his features. _How can he care so much about this country? We have not signed the alliance with them; Shou Shimaron is still the vassal state of Dai Shimaron. Our contact with Shin Makoku is minimal. Yet you care – not for our trade, not for our goods, but for my _people… _and me._ His eyes softened slightly._ Will I ever really understand how your mind works? And… will I ever be truly worthy of your trust?_

"I'm going," declared the Maou firmly.

"Yuuri!" protested the noisy fiancée. His name was Wolfram, if Saralegui's memory served.

Conrad seemed resigned. "If that is your will, Your Majesty, then I will not stop you."

"Conrad!" Yuuri smiled, glad for the support.

"Conrad, you…!" The other Mazoku with long purple hair sounded as though he was unsure whether to be upset or not.

"That's right! How can you be saying that?!" scolded the noisy blonde.

"Honestly… Our king never turns back once he's made up his mind, remember?" reminded the bespectacled soukoku. He too looked resigned. "We'll just have to deal with it."

"Your Grace!" protested the purple-haired Mazoku.

Yozak spoke up now. "It seems rather useless to continue arguing, Your Excellency." When the noble finally gave a sigh of defeat, the orange-haired man smiled and addressed the Sage. "Well? What do you suggest we do, Your Grace?"

"We will allow King Saralegui to surrender Shibuya to the enemy," answered the soukoku.

The noisy blonde frowned. "Your Grace!"

"After that, we, the Mazoku, will get him back," continued the Sage as though no one had interrupted. "This way, the only ones at fault here will come entirely from us… and since Shou Shimaron has no connection to it, this won't cause them any trouble whatsoever."

The purple-haired Mazoku stepped forward to protest. "But the danger still exists – "

"I'm more than aware of that," cut in the soukoku. Addressing the Maou, he asked, "Do you like my idea, Shibuya?"

"Yes, let's go with that," agreed Yuuri.

Saralegui listened, not making any contributions of his own. After all, none were needed. _This Sage of theirs is someone to keep an eye on. He sees more than he lets on and doesn't show what he's thinking behind his polite mask… somehow, he seems very similar to myself. Someone who cannot be trusted._

"Alright then, everyone. Let's start discussing the details of this plan," said Yuuri enthusiastically.

"Are we really going to do this?" complained the Maou's fiancée.

His fiancé gave him a look. "Wolfram…"

"It appears we have no choice but to do as His Grace says," concluded the purple-haired Mazoku, finally surrendering.

_Hmm… well, Dai Shimaron's ships can wait out at sea for a few more days, I suppose. Besides, if Berias agrees to carry out _that_ plan, I might just get to see the Maou's true form at close quarters – while Lanzhil and his army get blown away to the other side of Dai Shimaron._ Saralegui closed his eyes, satisfied with his plans. _Now, I believe I shall have to prepare an escort…_

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"These soldiers will be concealing themselves near the Dai Shimaron army for additional safety," explained Wolfram.

"King Saralegui insisted on doing so in order to prevent any danger from befalling Your Majesty," added Gunter.

"Sara said that?" Yuuri stared wonderingly at the other king.

Feeling eyes on his back, Saralegui looked around and, seeing the Maou, smiled sweetly at him. Yuuri blinked, then smiled back, a little nervously.

Yozak mounted his horse with the ease of long practice, and Conrad followed suit. "Your Majesty, I will be sure to come and save you. Please wait for my arrival."

"Okay," agreed the Maou immediately. "I'll be waiting, Conrad."

Saralegui, having overheard the whole conversation, hid a smile that, had it formed, would have had none of the sweetness of the one he had just given Yuuri. _So trusting, this Maou. Don't worry. If my plans go as they should, you won't need rescuing from Lanzhil… at least, not tonight or tomorrow._

His temporary general, Handor, came over to him. "Everything is ready," he reported.

"Alright. " The blonde king glanced up at Berias, who was already mounted on his horse. _I'm counting on you, Berias._

The swordsman nodded, resolve in his dark eyes, then swung his horse around. "March!" he ordered.

Saralegui watched as his trusted guard and those of Yuuri, along with his men-at-arms, vanished into the night. _Tomorrow will be very interesting. If things go well, it will be the last time Lanzhil sets foot in Shou Shimaron without my permission. If things go badly… it will be my death-day._

"Sara." Yuuri's voice broke through his thoughts.

The blonde king turned to face the Mazoku. "Yes. We should also get going."

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It was a long journey of several hours to the border of Shou Shimaron where Lanzhil and his troops had set up camp. Yuuri had wanted to be able to meet the king of Dai Shimaron in the daytime, thus the overnight trip. The two kings had a carriage spacious enough to stretch out in for themselves, while the other three Mazoku occupied the other carriage. How they passed the night, neither of the two had a clue.

For Saralegui, it had been an uncomfortable night. He had dozed lightly, jolting from his sleep with every bump in the road. Yuuri, on the other hand, had slept like a log from the moment he dropped off. The blonde couldn't help but feel a bit cheated. It didn't help that Yuuri somehow managed to look even more innocent in his sleep, a feat that the other king had never thought possible.

Now, though, it was dawn and they were nearing the Dai Shimaron encampment. The blonde watched his companion, puzzled by his apparent calm. "Are you…" he began quietly.

Yuuri started, not expecting the sudden break of their shared silence. Having secured the Maou's attention, Saralegui went on, "Are you really not scared?"

Remember what I told you earlier? About me trusting Conrad and the others?" asked Yuuri with a smile.

"I remember," agreed the blonde. _So he literally _does_ trust his retainers with his life; he really believes that they can rescue him from Dai Shimaron. It's a good thing Dai Shimaron's not going to get him today; I don't have quite that much faith in them, personally._

The soukoku was still talking. "You said, back then, that you trusted Berias-san. Since he's someone you believe in, I'll trust him too. As long as he's with us, things will work out alright!"

_Wonderful. You won't suspect Berias at all, then… when the supposedly fatal arrow comes._ Saralegui banished a smirk that threatened to form on his lips. "Yeah. I believe that he – Berias – will be able to pull it off." Of course, he was not referring to Yuuri's rescue.

A short time later, they arrived at the camp of Dai Shimaron. Both kings alighted from their carriage, stepping onto the edge of the grassy plain. Across it, Lanzhil and his army awaited.

One of Yuuri's retainers spoke, his voice betraying his anxiety. "Your Majesty."

"Yuuri," echoed another, his tone similarly worried.

"Well… I'll be back," said the Maou, as if reassuring them.

"We won't fail to save you," promised a third voice.

Saralegui started out towards the waiting army. _He's not going to _need_ rescuing_. I'll_ make sure of _that._ Now, Berias, I hope you didn't forget my orders._ _If these Mazoku believe that I'm willing to give up my life for their Maou, they might just decide to trust me._ Behind him, Yuuri hurried to catch up.

_What if Yuuri doesn't get angry and change into his _true_ form? What if Lanzhil still manages to take him away?_

The blonde's lips tightened, and he mentally shook his head hard. He did _not_ like doubting himself… or his plans, for that matter.

Just then, Yuuri's voice broke into his thoughts. "Hey, Sara… next time, when all this is over… I'll invite you to Shin Makoku. I really want you to come and visit, okay?"

Saralegui quickly concealed his surprise with a smile. _Invite me to Shin Makoku? Only Yuuri…_ "Okay. I'd love to go."

"When you do, I'll introduce you to everyone in the castle," continued the soukoku. "Oh, and to my daughter Greta, of course."

"I look forward to it." _He's thinking about such things when he's about to be handed over to his most dangerous enemy. _The blonde's smile widened. _Then again, visiting Shin Makoku might indeed be interesting…_

"But, until then…" Yuuri's face voice became slightly wistful. "I hope we'll be able to make it so that our people are freely able to come and go between our two countries."

"Yeah…" _Berias should be positioned around here…_ Saralegui was no longer paying close attention to the Maou, instead discreetly scanning the tree line. Something glinted in the sunlight. _There._

Then the arrow was coming towards them, and everything seemed to be happening in slow motion. "Yuuri, look out!" he shouted, flinging himself directly in front of the soukoku…

Moments later, pain exploded in his chest. Blood splattered his clothes and shoes, staining the grass beneath; he could literally _feel_ the arrowhead tearing through skin and muscle, grinding past his ribs into the space where his heart and lungs were housed. Agony clawed at his nerves, every heartbeat mercilessly ripping a little more of his flesh apart.

_Oh gods, it _hurts_. It hurts _so_ excruciatingly…_ Pain engulfed him, blotting out all his senses, but Saralegui hung on grimly and refused to scream. _My houryoku, my houryoku; I need my power _now_! Where is it when I need it?!_ Frantic, the blonde sent the last dregs of his consciousness in search of the power he needed to numb the pain. _I can't black out, not now – I want to see the _Maou_!_

At last, he found the bottomless well of glowing power, deep in the furthest recesses of his mind. He plunged in with what was left of his fast fading energy, sinking deeply into himself. The pain shrank, so much so that he felt almost removed from it; he was unconscious yet conscious, he could see yet his eyes were closed. He had never tried putting himself into a state of suspended animation before – after all, there had never been a need to do so – and the strange feeling of it was completely alien to him.

Barely had Saralegui secured his suspended, numbed state, though, when a burst of intense power roared through him, ripping his not-spirit clean out of his body. He reeled, stunned and disoriented; he had not thought it possible to exist outside a physical body.

When he finally managed to gather his wits, he found that he was still close to his physical self – and at a _very_ close vantage point to view the furious Maou. Nobody, least of all the Maou himself, noticed the pale ghostly shimmer of his disembodied not-spirit amid the raging blue-white maryoku maelstrom.

_Amazing,_ was the first coherent thought that came to Saralegui. Yuuri was no longer Yuuri – he was the Maou, the demon king, with slit pupils and long dark hair that whipped in the fierce wind he had summoned. Lightning flashed intermittently among the unnaturally dark clouds overhead; the very earth shook with the Maou's wrath, roiling and heaving like a living creature. Spikes of rock crashed through the surface of the ground, smashing right through whatever it had come up below – Dai Shimaron's tents, men, cannons and towers, all collapsed without much resistance.

The young king of Shou Shimaron watched in awe as the Maou single-handedly demolished Dai Shimaron's army. Where lightning struck, a rock spire soon rose. Dust, rocks, earth, wood and men were thrown high in the air and tossed about by the unforgiving, gale-force wind like so many matchsticks. _Beautiful. This power… it's beautiful, indescribably and terribly beautiful_, thought Saralegui. _And the Maou… he's exactly the same, utterly dangerous and utterly gorgeous… he's like the sun, whose light compels you to come closer but whose heat burns you when you get too close._

After what might have been an hour, or maybe a few seconds – time was meaningless in the Maou's shadow – Lanzhil and his defeated army retreated, fleeing home to Dai Shimaron their tails between their legs. The Maou's huge shadow, still burning so brilliantly blue that it was edged in white, slowly shrank, sinking back into Yuuri's body as rain poured down in an immense deluge of water. Within moments, Dai Shimaron's fallen flags and Saralegui's clothes were soaked through. As the Maou continued to withdraw his power back into himself, the rock spikes sank back into the earth, making the ground quiver and groan.

Yuuri's anger was spent. As the last of the rock spires disappeared underground, he wavered, then keeled over, their two bodies collapsing in a heap.

Saralegui, too, felt rather tired. He drifted back to his physical shell, allowing natural attraction between it and his disembodied self pull him back in. There, he worked himself back into place, reclaiming each limb slowly. Once sensation returned, his mind shut down, tossing him into the black whirlpool of oblivion.

His final thought was, _Yuuri really _did_ get angry for me._

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**A/N: WTH. I DID IT AGAIN. I WROTE A FRICKING ELEVEN ****PAGES IN LIKE THREE DAYS FLAT. AM I AWESOME, OR AM I AWESOME?!!**

… **right, disregard that. As you all know, I'm going through the episodes of the so-called Sara Arc in Saralegui's POV. So the plot and dialogue and all that are all right **_**there**_**, y' know what I mean? It's the AU bits and the mental processes stuff that requires brainwork. (Even then, eleven pages is no joke. .) I actually planned to write episodes 98 and 99 in the same chapter, but since 98 is so **_**stuffed**_** with events and all, it seems that it just wasn't meant to be. T.T **

**The chapters may undergo some major renaming in the near future, so don't freak out if suddenly all the chapters have new names or something. I simply didn't plan this fic very well… or rather, I didn't think it would boom and grow into the monster it is now. (I mean, twenty-six pages within a week? Tell me it won't become a monster!)**

**Anyways, I hope there was enough SaraYuu here to justify this fic's genre to be romance. I put in as much as I could without going overboard… :-X Hope you all enjoyed reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it!**

**Please Review! Reviews really **_**do**_** inspire me!**


	4. Lilac

_**Four: Lilac**_

Berias was highly displeased with himself. He had not judged his shot as accurately as he should have. The arrow had gone far too close to his young king's heart for him to sit easy.

Nearly twelve hours has passed since the man had fired that critical shot, but Saralegui had yet to stir. Berias' anxiety only increased with each passing second of complete stillness apart from the tiniest rise and fall of the boy's chest as he breathed. _Saralegui, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..._

What would he have done, if he'd accidentally killed his master, his king, his beloved's only child?

The only viable course of action would have been to commit suicide, to die by his own hand. Pure luck was the only thing that kept Saralegui breathing. If luck had not been on his side, if fate had not smiled on them, the crown prince of Seisakoku and King of Shou Shimaron would be dead.

Berias swore, for perhaps the twentieth time since he and his king had returned to the palace, that he would _never, ever_ perform such a risky task again. Not even on Saralegui's orders.

He would not have the right to live once the nobles of Shou Shimaron found out that he was the one who had assassinated their king, Nor would he be able to live with the knowledge that he had killed Princess – no, Queen Alazon's son.

It had been more than a decade since Berias had needed to use his powers for healing. He'd never been quite as adept in the healers' craft as he was in battle magic, and in his time with Saralegui, he'd always left him in the charge of the palace doctors. This time, though, he didn't dare to. Skilled as the palace's healers were, the king was now extremely weak, and a single wrong move could snuff out his life force. Even now, there were still people unscrupulous enough to do such a thing on purpose within the castle. Berias may have let the doctors take care of the more superficial injuries, but he wasn't going to take any chances with the houryoku healers.

Taking a deep breath, he laid both palms onto Saralegui's bandaged chest, closing his eyes in concentration. Slowly, he directed his power to his hands, taking extra pains to make sure it would not form a destructive ball of fire but stayed in threads of raw houryoku. Soon, a soft white glow emanated from where his hands made contact with the boy's torso.

Barely had the triumphant satisfaction made itself felt when surprise and confusion took over. Saralegui's body was… empty. That was the only way he could think of to describe it. Berias couldn't sense the brilliant blue aura the king normally possessed; the boy's life force was a dim golden flicker, far different from the bright fire it should have been. Even after taking into account Saralegui's current poor state of health, this was really quite alarming –

His power was flowing away from him, far faster than it should, and the sudden loss of such a huge amount of his houryoku made Berias' head spin. Healing didn't normally take so much out of him. He tried to reduce the rate of the flow, but strangely, his own power ignored him and continued draining away.

Lightheadedness clouded his mind, making him unable to think rationally, and panic began setting in. Berias made a desperate attempt to pull his hands away from Saralegui and end the healing process. It was in vain; an irrevocably strong force held his hands fast. His power continued pouring away into the young king's body.

Faintness was taking over when, out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Saralegui's fingers move slightly. Another finger twitched, and his eyelids quivered; he was waking up at last… Berias could feel his consciousness flickering, but he would not collapse, he would _not_…

Just as suddenly as it had taken hold, the mysterious force loosened its grip, and Berias fell back on his knees. He was panting harshly and more drained than he could ever remember being, but at least he was conscious. Mustering his strength, he looked up to see what had become of his king.

Saralegui's huge gold eyes blinked slowly at him. "Berias…" he whispered.

The guard's breath was still coming painfully hard in his chest, but he still managed to gasp, "Your Majesty!" His anxiety, his guilt, his relief, all summed up in those two words…

"Berias…?" repeated the boy a few seconds later, apparently not completely sure if he was truly awake.

"Sir," answered his guard again.

Saralegui tried and failed to smile. "Just as I expected of you… you did a fine job."

_A fine job? What fine job? I nearly killed you!_ A knock on the door interrupted him before he could voice his protests. Receiving a nod from the young king, he went to see who had come.

The Maou's bodyguard stood outside, patiently waiting for an answer to his knock. _Why is he here? Did something happen to the Maou?_ Berias kept his voice even as he greeted the man, "Lord Weller."

"How is King Saralegui doing?" inquired the brunette politely, as Berias stepped out of his master's room and closed the door behind him.

Berias faced him. "He has just opened his eyes." He conveniently neglected to mention the intensive healing that had taken place. "What about King Yuuri?"

"He's fine," replied Weller. "In fact, he was more concerned about King Saralegui's well-being." His voice had more than a touch of wry humor in it. "He said he wished to meet hm."

Obviously, the man was referring to Saralegui. Berias considered for a moment. _Saralegui should be fine now, but I'd prefer if he could take a rest... Then again, he probably wants to see the Maou. Perhaps a quick visit?_ "As long as it's fast, I have no complaints," he said at last.

Weller's eyes had an odd look in them, almost sympathetic but still guarded, with barely-concealed suspicion lurking behind. "You're worried too, aren't you?"

_He knows that I was the one who shot my king._ The Shinzoku guard met the brunette's gaze squarely, his face was a mask, neutral and impassive, giving nothing away though inwardly his instincts were screaming that this man was dangerous. _He's always been dangerous. Now he's not just dangerous, but even more suspicious of Saralegui and I than before. I cannot let him confirm his suspicions, no matter what._

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A few minutes later, the Mazoku king and his retainers arrived to see Saralegui. Berias had already informed the blonde of the impending visit, and the young king was now wearing his tinted glasses, though his eyes were closed as if in sleep.

Weller was supporting the pajama-clad soukoku as he made his way over to Saralegui's bedside. _If it were Saralegui, he'd rather use a walking stick than lean on someone else,_ thought Berias. _King Yuuri isn't afraid to appear weak._

"Sara," began the dark-haired boy. At the voice, the blonde king opened his eyes, his lips curving in a small smile.

Berias still couldn't understand how his king could have allowed this boy to be so familiar with him. 'Saralegui', without any honorifics, was already more than most people could ask for. But '_Sara_'…? Then again, he would not question how Saralegui's mind worked. If this would make the Maou more open to him, then so be it.

Yuuri's hands gently covered the blonde's, which were folded on his chest. "I'm sorry, Sara. You're… because of me, you're in so much pain right now…"

"You are the one who saved me first, Yuuri. I only did what I could to return the favor," replied Saralegui. His voice was still weak, but Berias heard it clearly. _He is trying to win the Mazoku's hearts…? Why? Their Maou is already in love with him._ As if in confirmation, Yuuri's hands tightened on Saralegui's, his expression serious.

Apparently disregarding this, the blonde continued, "Dai Shimaron's army has withdrawn. It should be easier for you to escape now." The soukoku stiffened, about to say something, but Saralegui spoke first. "The ship is ready. You should leave before dawn breaks."

"But…" Yuuri began to protest.

"He's right," interrupted one of his retainers, the soukoku with spectacles. "Staying here will only create more conflict for this country."

The Maou looked troubled. "But what about Sara?"

"I'll be fine," reassured Saralegui. "You don't have to worry about me."

"But…" began Yuuri again, still not giving up.

"The situation here is changing, so things are unstable," explained the blonde quietly. "Because of that, it would be best if you weren't around."

Yuuri's eyes widened in shock at the blunt dismissal, but Saralegui smiled at him again. "Please, do this for me."

"Sara…" The soukoku's face was sad, but he seemed to accept that he would have to leave his new friend.

The blonde glanced at Berias. "Take care of the preparations. Unfortunately, since I cannot see them off… you will go in my place."

"Sir," acknowledged the guard. He was used to being Saralegui's representative, though he was not a state official qualified to represent the country's ruler. Saralegui trusted him much more than any of his officials; that much was plain to everyone at court.

Yuuri hurried to reassure the blonde king. "It's fine with us, Sara. You must rest; then you'll recover quickly! When you are healthy again, come visit Shin Makoku, okay?"

Saralegui only smiled. "Of course."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A short time later, Berias was supervising the preparations as the Mazoku boarded a ship. The skies were still dark; it was four hours before dawn.

Weller was carrying a protesting Yuuri on his back as he walked up the gangway. "I said I'll be fine! I _can_ walk on my own…"

"No. Please let me do this," replied the man, not relinquishing his hold as he continued upwards.

_Saralegui would _never_ allow me or anyone else to do such a thing,_ thought Berias with a touch of envy. _He is too proud, that boy. It must have come from Alazon. He doesn't really understand what it is to be young, to be a child whose mistakes are easily overlooked… everything he does must be calculated._

"Conrad, can you put me down?" Berias could just hear the faint voice of the Maou from aboard ship. He watched as the pajama-clad soukoku joined his retainers at the side of the ship facing the land.

"I'm sorry, Sara." Yuuri was speaking again, so softly that Berias had to strain to catch his words.

The dark-haired guard kept his face emotionless as Weller also looked down, though the Mazoku's gaze was directed at him. He was probably trying to see if Berias would react to the Maou's words, but if that were the case, he was trying in vain. Berias was a master of the poker face; he met Weller's eyes squarely.

A wind caught the ship's sails, snapping them tight and making the ship strain against its moorings. Berias nodded to the harbormaster to cast the ship off. A few minutes later, the Mazoku were on their way, borne by the tide as well as the wind.

_If Saralegui has his way, we will be seeing each other again in the near future. _His duty done, Berias motioned to his companion man-at-arms to bring their small boat back to shore.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the morning, at a much more decent hour, he went to see Saralegui. The first thing the boy asked him was, "How was Yuuri?"

_Of course he wouldn't care about the other Mazoku, only Yuuri._ "He has made a safe departure," answered Berias.

"I see." Saralegui closed his eyes for a moment, his expression changing slightly.

_Perhaps he regrets his actions?_ His guilt for injuring the boy was still strong. Seeing an opportunity, Berias knelt next to his king's bed. "Your Majesty."

"What's the matter, Berias?" The blonde's voice was still hoarse. It made the guard feel even worse.

"Please forgive me." Berias didn't need to say for what – Saralegui would know.

"There is no need for you to feel guilty," rasped the boy. "You only did what was meant to be done."

The man all but cringed at the reminder. _I will _never_ do such a thing again, even if it's an order from you!_

Saralegui was still speaking. "Dai Shimaron and Shin Makoku's mutual aversion to each other is now definite because of you. I've even become friends with Yuuri now…"

Berias frowned. There it was again, the whole _becoming friends with Yuuri_ thing.

"You've done well, Berias," finished the blonde. He actually sounded sincere.

The guard couldn't restrain his questions anymore. "Why?" he demanded. When Saralegui didn't reply immediately, he got to his feet, facing the boy directly. "Why are you going so far to do this?" he repeated. "If you wish to use the Maou, all you need to do is use your power on him. Why are you choosing to put your life in danger instead?"

"Because it's more fun this way." Saralegui's voice was perfectly serious.

It was rare that Berias got destructive impulses. He was usually a calm and collected swordsman, fighting for the sake of fighting, not for the joy of destruction. But at this point, he wanted nothing more than to strangle the boy king of Shou Shimaron. _Does he think it's really all a game? Does he truly value his life so little? Does he actually believe that nobody worries about whether he lives or dies?_

"Yuuri is a rather… interesting… person," continued the blonde, staring out of the window. Glancing back at the man, he added, "I find him to be very… _intriguing_…"

The large golden eyes were sincere. Berias sighed inwardly. _He will believe what he wants to believe, nothing else. I cannot tell him that I can see he is softening towards Yuuri; he would only close up again. _Aloud, he said, "Your healing is not complete. If it is alright with Your Majesty…"

Saralegui smiled, clearly amused at the way he tried to change the subject. "Okay."

This time, the healing went much more smoothly. There was no strange force pulling his houryoku into Saralegui's body, though he could feel the deep exhaustion that permeated the boy's entire body. Now he was the one pushing his power into the blonde, disregarding his own body's protests at the loss of his newly-recovered houryoku.

Sweat was starting to bead on his forehead when Saralegui spoke. "That's enough, Berias." When the man ignored him, he went on, "You'll end up passing out again…"

Berias would have continued ignoring his king, but then there was a knock on the door, and he quickly ended the healing. The people here didn't know he could heal.

"What is it?" asked the boy.

A man-at-arms came into the room. "Messengers from Dai Shimaron have arrived."

Saralegui's eyes narrowed. "Understood."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In spite of Berias' weak, apathetic protests that he shouldn't be up yet, Saralegui received the messengers in his throne room as protocol demanded – albeit still wearing his pajamas as there had been no time to change into more appropriate clothes. Naturally, Berias accompanied him.

This time, there were three men. Two had come before; the Shinzoku guard recognized them. The third was swathed in a black cloak that cast his face in shadow. He also had an oddly familiar aura, but Berias just could _not_ seem to place it.

"I believe you know why we have come here, King Saralegui," began one of the messengers, who was clad in white.

"Tell us where the Maou is currently located," added his purple-cloaked companion.

"No. First, tell us what the Maou was doing here in Shou Shimaron," demanded the one in white.

There was a short pause before Saralegui answered. "He came to threaten me," he announced, his tone almost sad – as though what he'd just said were true.

"Threaten you?" repeated the purple messenger.

Saralegui bowed his head slightly. "The Maou tried to force me into betraying Dai Shimaron and joining Shin Makoku's alliance." His voice was quiet, and Berias noticed that the boy's eyes were unnaturally bright. He wasn't surprised. Saralegui had always been able to produce tears whenever he needed them.

"Do you really expect us to believe that?" asked the white-clad messenger indignantly.

"That's why I tricked him into coming out with me – so that I could hand him over to you," explained the blonde, his expression hurt that they had not believed him. "And yet…" He put a hand to his heart, where he'd been wounded – supposedly by Dai Shimaron's arrow, though of course it was Berias'.

Both messengers tensed at the unspoken accusation. "Dai Shimaron was not responsible for unleashing that arrow!" exclaimed one.

"What an insult!" added the other, furious. "Are you implying that we did it?"

"Not at all," replied Saralegui, his mask not slipping in the slightest though Berias knew that his plan for emotional blackmail had just been foiled. The young king reached for his spectacles. "I'm sure that the arrow was just another part of the Maou's conspiracy against us."

_What are you doing? You don't have the power!_ Inwardly, Berias was protesting violently; outwardly, he did nothing, nor could he do anything. _If this doesn't work…_

"He wanted to tear Dai Shimaron and Shou Shimaron apart," stated the blonde, lowering the violet-tinted lenses to his lap. Power built up, making the air hum; Saralegui's eyes slowly began to glow bright blue. "You think the same as I do, don't you?"

The two messengers started, staring wide-eyed into Saralegui's relentless blue gaze. Berias glanced sharply at the last messenger – he seemed unaffected._ This man may be trouble, if Lanzhil is truly his master. I doubt it. That aura is not normal houryoku._

"However, all that he has done to me is in vain," continued Saralegui. "My loyalties to Dai Shimaron and to King Lanzhil have not changed in the slightest."

Berias smiled inwardly. _There _was_ no loyalty to begin with._

"I – I see that very clearly now!" The messenger in purple turned to his companion. "What foul play these Mazoku are willing to stoop down to!"

The white-clad messenger nodded in agreement. "We will relay the integrity of your admirable loyalty to King Lanzhil at once," he declared.

Saralegui smiled. "Thank you."

Both messengers bowed and turned to leave, striding out of the hall without bothering about their third companion. Berias' suspicion deepened. _Who exactly is this person? He is clearly not Lanzhil's, or he'd have left with them. No, he must have come on his own agenda._

His young master replaced his spectacles, smirking slightly in triumph. Upon doing so, he caught sight of the remaining black-clad man, and his eyes widened in shock. He recovered quickly, however, and commented, "It seems that my power doesn't work on you."

When the man did not reply immediately, Saralegui raised his eyebrows in curiosity. "A houjutsu user, are you? Why don't you come and work for me? I will be able to make greater use of your powers than Lanzhil ever could."

Clearly the blonde had also sensed the odd aura this man exuded. _Could he be a Shinzoku? No, that cannot be. Pr- Queen Alazon sealed our borders and forbade the Shinzoku from leaving while she was not there to protect the land._

"Thank you for your kind invitation, but I will have to decline," answered the man in black.

"Why?" Saralegui sat forwards in his seat; he was obviously interested in this person. "It's not as if you feel any allegiance to Dai Shimaron." The man twitched, and Saralegui added, "Lanzhil isn't your master."

Propping his elbow on the throne's armrest, the blonde rested his head on his hand, considering the man before him. After a few seconds, he sat up straight again. "Never mind. It's a shame to have you go, but I won't press the subject… Berias? See him to the front doors."

"Sir," acknowledged the guard. The man excused himself, and they both made their way to the exit.

Even as he closed the doors behind him, Berias heard Saralegui remark, "One of the Ravens has flown its way in here…"

_Ravens._ Suddenly, everything seemed to fall into place. _He's a _Raven_! No wonder his aura is so reminiscent of Alazon's. It is _her_ houryoku infusing him._

**(Flashback)**

"Berias, when the time comes, I will need your help," said Alazon, her face serious.

The dark-haired man nodded. _Anything for you. _"I will do all that is in my power to assist you." He wasn't used to speaking so formally, but Alazon was now married and Queen of Shou Shimaron, not to mention still retaining her own birthright as princess of Seisakoku. Even as childhood friends, there suddenly seemed to be a huge distance between them.

Alazon leaned on the windowsill, allowing the wind to toss her long blonde hair and tease her billowing sleeves. "My sister…she is not strong. I will have to return eventually. But while I am in Shou Shimaron with Gilbert, I will begin the search for the Holy Sword."

"You will return with him to his country?" To say Berias was surprise would be a grave understatement. He was reeling. _She's _leaving_?! I'll never see her again –!_

"Yes. While Alina is still able to rule – to keep the barriers up, to prevent detection – I must seize this opportunity." Her eyes were sad, but he could just see the steel of determination in them. "It will be a hard road to walk. I must be strong… I cannot wait here in the sheltered roof of my house, where every person in this land is willing to give his life in place of mine. The Holy Sword is not for such a person as I am now."

_She is a true ruler._ The dark-haired man said nothing; there was nothing appropriate to say.

Alazon continued staring into the distance, her face set. "If it so happens that I am called back before Saralegui grows, I ask that you look after him for me."

Berias bowed. "Yes, Your Highness."

It was the first time he had ever referred to her by her title when they were in private.

~~~~X~~~~

_Dear Berias,_

_The official notification of Alina's death has finally reached me. I must return immediately for the coronation. Your letter concerning the same event reached two weeks prior and I have already carried out most of the preparations._

_I call upon the promise you made to me on the day I left Seisakoku – please look after Saralegui for me._

_Signed,_

_Alazon, Queen of Shou Shimaron and Princess of Seisakoku_

~~~~X~~~~

The queen had left the palace for more than a week by the time Berias arrived in the capital of Shou Shimaron. He used the letter Alazon had written to vouch for him to gain an audience with King Gilbert.

"_Take care of Saralegui."_ Gilbert had said that to him. So had Alazon herself. He fully intended to carry out his orders.

He found the prince after a long stroll through the palace trying to find a boy with the pale blonde hair and gold eyes he remembered seeing in the baby Alazon used to rock to sleep. The moment he laid eyes on the child sitting on his haunches next to the flowerbeds watching a pair of mating butterflies, though, he knew.

The tiny child had hair of the exact same shade as that of Alazon's – that shimmery, sleek, ash blonde hair he still remembered clear as day. No one possessed such distinctive, lustrous locks but the Shinzoku royalty. Upon moving closer, the boy snapped around in surprise, wide amber eyes behind purple-tinted spectacles. _He's a prince of Seisakoku, without a doubt._

"Prince Saralegui." The man knelt. "My name is Berias. I swear my eternal allegiance to you."

~~~~X~~~~

Alazon replied to Berias' first letter, telling her of his successful appointment into the position of Saralegui's personal bodyguard, with an order not to continue their correspondence. Crestfallen, the man had no choice but to follow his queen's command. Half a decade went past with no news from Seisakoku. Then, a letter came.

_Dear Berias,_

_I have sealed the borders of Seisakoku and left it to search for the Holy Sword. Our land is one devastated by famine through drought and poor harvests; death's touch lingers on everything I see. I must carry out my duty as Queen and save this land, no matter how arduous the task._

_My son is still not of age. I ask that you continue to stay by his side. He is one born of two races; he may the potential to wield the Holy Sword and save our country. For now, I will restart the search. We will succeed; we _must_ succeed._

_Signed,_

_Alazon, Queen of Seisakoku and Shou Shimaron_

Three years later, another letter arrived.

_Dear Berias,_

_The search up to this point has been so slow and on such a small scale that it is almost negligible. However, with a houseki of memories left behind of a certain researcher named Janus, I have recreated the man. He will live for perhaps another five years, given the amount of houryoku I have infused him with to suffice as life-force. _

_This Janus has proved to be extremely helpful thus far. He was the leader of a group called the White Raven in his time; I have begun to recruit new members for this group. Once it is large enough, we will be able to obtain all enchanted swords worldwide and from them find our Holy Sword._

_I aim to possess the Holy Sword by the time Saralegui turns eighteen._

_Signed,_

_Alazon, Queen of Seisakoku and Shou Shimaron_

**(End Flashback)**

A Raven. That explained everything. The swordsman was dissatisfied with himself; how could he not have realized earlier?

Then again, how did _Saralegui_ know when he himself did not know? Berias made a mental note of it, resolving to ask the boy about the matter.

Suddenly, the Raven behind him spoke. "So you are Sir Berias."

"Do you find that a problem?" The man's tone had been odd, maybe even mocking in the way he seemed to know something that Berias did not. In the knowledge that this person was under Alazon's control, Berias allowed himself the liberty of responding to the challenge.

"No," replied the man. "I've merely heard some time before that you were Shou Shimaron's best swordsman."

_Heard from Alazon, I'm sure. You must be of high standing, to control King Lanzhil on Alazon's orders and come here to see her son._ Berias kept his thoughts to himself; it didn't seem that the man was about to reveal his purpose in coming – yet.

The Raven was still talking. "Not only did you excel at the sword – you were also a master of other forms of combat sports. Such as… yes… archery, for instance."

Berias frowned but did not change his pace in the least. _He knows – no, he _suspects._ As long as he has no proof, it won't matter… I don't know if he feels this information is worth giving to Lanzhil, but it's always best not to take chances._

The footsteps behind him paused. "This is…"

Turning, the swordsman found the cloaked man beholding the portrait of King Gilbert. "I assume this is the previous king, His Majesty Gilbert?"

"Yes," answered Berias.

"I don't see much resemblance… between him and King Saralegui," he commented, his voice as bland as milk.

Berias did not reply. _This man is just trying to instigate a reaction from me. I will not give him the pleasure of one._

They walked in silence for the most of the remainder of their journey. When the exit came into view along with the other two messengers from Dai Shimaron and their horses, though, the Raven spoke again. "I was entrusted with some correspondence for you."

Taking the letter the man held out, Berias bowed. "Thank you very much for your trouble." The black-cloaked man nodded.

As soon as the three messengers were out of sight, Berias broke the seal on the letter and unfolded it.

_Dear Berias,_

_At long last, we have found our Holy Sword. I will meet you – and Saralegui – very soon._

_Signed,_

_Alazon, Queen of Seisakoku, Dowager Queen of Shou Shimaron_

For the first time in a long time, Berias felt his lips curve in a smile. He would see his beloved soon.

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**A/N: Right, I know it's a **_**very**_** late update (heck, it's almost a month) and nobody's exactly happy that they've waited ages for something that isn't anywhere as great as the previous chapters. You're probably demanding, **_**why isn't this in Sara's POV?!**_** 'cause we've all learnt how to love Sara by reading this ficcy. But really, Berias' POV was necessary.**

**See, for most of episode 99 (which this is based on), Saralegui was indisposed. And Berias was involved in a lot more things than our dear blonde was. Additionally, I needed to establish exactly what the relationship between Alazon, Berias and Saralegui is in this ficcy, since I watched the latest episodes (111/112) and they didn't turn out the way I thought they would (i.e. this ficcy). Well, I **_**did**_** say this was going to be **_**loosely**_** based on the anime. :-X so there it is; they aren't siblings but lovers… or more like Berias had a super crush on Alazon but she didn't realize 'cause she was too busy thinking about Seisakoku and Gilbert… –coughs– From here on, this ficcy will be increasingly AU from the anime, so get ready for the ride and for **_**very**_** late updates. –gets shot–**

**Reviews make me feel loved and my plot bunnies reproduce. Please Review!**


	5. Indigo

_**Five: Indigo**_

Saralegui frowned. "What did you just say?" _I must have heard wrongly. Why would she, after so long?_

"Your mother, Queen Alazon, has asked that you meet her," repeated Berias. "Thirteen days from now, in the dark of the moon, she will await you at Raven's Gate in Dai Shimaron."

"Raven's Gate… isn't that the base of the White Ravens?" The blonde was stalling for time. _My mother… after all this time, she has finally asked for me…_

Berias nodded. "Yes, it is. Queen Alazon is the present leader of the White Ravens," he explained. "I am sure that she will tell you more about it herself."

Sighing, Saralegui turned away from his bodyguard, looking out of the window instead. "Berias, I am the King of Shou Shimaron. I can't just up and leave whenever I may feel like it. And our relations with Dai Shimaron are still extremely fragile. Incognito, I don't believe I will be able to defend myself completely should Lanzhil choose to move his army on me." _I should stop this smokescreen. It's getting a bit overdone; Berias will notice._

"Your Majesty, the White Ravens are highly adept at concealment, as are we. I am confident that we can reach the Raven's Gate safely," argued Berias. "Lanzhil's army cannot hope to stand against the combined power of the Queen, you, and the rest of the Ravens, no matter how many houryoku users they may employ."

_I _want_ to see her. _Saralegui closed his eyes. _I'm a fool, really. Why do I want to meet this pitiless woman who discarded her child for her own convenience? Perhaps she's my mother, but what pride do I have if I go crawling back to her now?_

_Hell with pride. She's a queen _and_ she's your mother!_ Another voice spoke up now, overriding the previous one. _If she acknowledges you, you will be heir to Seisakoku. Besides, what's wrong with seeing what she wants with you for now? You could use this to show her what she missed when she abandoned you._

Tawny gold eyes opened slowly, but they were blind to the gorgeous sunset lighting up the sky. "Very well. I will make arrangements with the Council tomorrow," he said, a concession to his bodyguard as well as a promise to himself.

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As usual, it was a drag to convene the Council. Saralegui didn't bother to recall the nobles currently in their country homes; it would really be too much of a hassle, and he wanted to leave as soon as possible. Thirteen – now twelve – days was not a very generous window of time.

In any case, it wasn't as though he was passing a new law or something of that degree of importance – he was simply announcing his decision to leave the country for a few days. Normally, he wouldn't have thought twice about mounting his horse and leaving with Berias incognito, but the Council was on edge after the whole business with Dai Shimaron and they weren't going to take kindly to it if he decided to waltz into dangerous territory without giving them prior notice.

Now the young king faced his Council in his throne room, having just informed them of his plans and awaiting their opinions (of which he was sure there would be quite a number). He was not disappointed.

Handor, the man who had replaced Gerald as military commander, spoke up first. "Your Majesty, I don't think it is a good idea to go so soon after what happened with Dai Shimaron." The other nobles murmured in assent, nodding at the statement.

"Even if you bring armed guards with you, your safety cannot be guaranteed," said Lord Imran, one of the Senior Counselors. "In fact, by bringing an armed force with you, you are more likely to get King Lanzhil's attention and be suspected by him."

Saralegui listened patiently as others echoed cautionary advice. _Do they really think I haven't thought of all this myself?_ he wondered. _Well, I suppose I should leave them with something to say._

A question rang out, clear over the low mutterings of the other nobles. "Your Majesty, will you not tell us of the reason you wish to go?"

_Finally. None of them asked, till this person… who is it?_ The blonde glanced around the room, searching for the speaker. _Ah, it must be that woman. Lady Quinne, I believe her name was._ "Oh, did I not mention it? My mother called me there." _Let's see what you make of this. Truth can sometimes be as good as a lie._

There was an instant uproar. "Your mother? How do you know? What proof is there? Is this some kind of trick?" The questions flew in every direction, the entire Council apparently mistrustful of the idea.

Saralegui feigned shock. "I assumed that you would all remember Queen Alazon. It would seem that I am greatly mistaken…"

"No, it's not that!" Reassurances came flurrying back at once. "We simply…" The voices died out, everyone exchanging looks of uncertainty. The subject of the royal family, after all, had been taboo ever since King Gilbert's marriage to the foreigner, Alazon.

The young king placed a look of pure, bland innocence on his face. "Well, then, there should be no problem. I'm glad to see that you are all supportive of my decision." Before anyone could say anything to the contrary, he added, "Adjourned."

As the nobles filed out, still a low murmur of troubled conversation hanging over them, Saralegui slipped out the back way with Berias at his heels. "Getting personal really helps," he commented. "It always works on them."

"Your Majesty, I would advise against it unless the issue is exceptional," cautioned Berias, always concerned for his charge.

"Oh, don't worry. I won't use it any more than I have to, or they'll catch on to it. I was lucky this time; any longer and they might've got me." The blonde's expression had become more sober. _I couldn't exactly tell them _why_ Alazon had called for me… because I myself don't know why._

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A knock on the door interrupted the blonde in the midst of his preparations for the trip. He looked up, quickly banishing his frown. "Yes?"

The door opened to reveal a man-at-arms. "Your Majesty, we have brought your letters."

"So?" Saralegui wasn't in a particularly forgiving mood, still rather displeased with his own poor argumentative show at the council meeting.

The unfortunate man stiffened in apprehension; even he could sense the negative vibes emanating from his king. "T-there is a letter from the Maou, which we believed you would be interested in."

Now _that_ was a different matter. Yuuri had this ability to make the young king feel good. Whether it was that feeling of superiority (because the Maou could be so _dumb_ sometimes) or the vaguely comforting feeling of security in their so-called friendship, it always felt good. _Maybe this could cheer me up_… "Thank you," he said, smiling as he approached the trembling man to take the correspondence. "You may leave." The man did so immediately, leaving his king in peace.

Saralegui lost no time in slitting the envelope and unfolding the letter, settling on the edge of his bed to read.

_To Saralegui, King of Shou Shimaron:_

_Dear Sara,_

_How are you? Have you recovered yet? I'm still feeling guilty about you taking that shot for me. Anyway, how's everything? I hope Dai Shimaron didn't come back to pester you about us. Maybe I shouldn't have gotten so angry… but I _was_ angry, I mean, they _shot_ you! How could I _not_ be angry!_

The young king smiled. _He was angry for _me_. I hypothesized that his reaction would be as such, but…_ Somehow, it _was _rather nice to see Yuuri verbalizing his emotions. He continued reading.

_Man, you should've seen the fuss Gunter made when I told him I wanted to write a letter to you. He was going on and on about the problems that would occur if it was intercepted by Dai Shimaron. And he also nagged at me about formatting. I don't get why he's so uptight sometimes… after all, we're friends! Friends don't worry about protocol. That's one reason why friends are great._

Saralegui couldn't quite repress the feeling of warmth that rose in him as he read the last lines of that paragraph.

_In any case, I wrote to ask you to come and visit once things have cooled down between you and Dai Shimaron. Well, actually, I wanted you to come immediately, but Gunter said that it would be impossible with King Lanzhil on your case. I want to introduce you to everyone – my daughter Greta, Cheri-sama, maybe even Gwendal. They're really like my family. Maybe I'll even bring my _real_ brother Shouri from Earth to meet you._

The blonde blinked, then carefully reread the passage. He couldn't detect any signs of artificiality. Yuuri wasn't asking simply to keep his promise – the promise that he'd made just before Saralegui had gotten himself shot. It wasn't out of obligation. At least, it didn't seem to be. Yuuri wasn't very good at lying.

_Well, that's all I have to say. Tell Berias that I say hi and do come as soon as you can!_

_Signed, _

_Shibuya Yuuri Harajuku Fuuri, Maou_

Now that was a long sign-off. Even Saralegui's was shorter. _Should I accept…?_

He went to his desk, taking quill, inkpot and paper from the drawer. _Heck with the nobles. I want to have fun._ After a moment's thought, he began to write.

_To Yuuri, Maou, Ruler of Shin Makoku_

_Dear Yuuri,_

_I was overjoyed to receive your letter. In answer to your queries, I am in good health, so don't blame yourself for my injury. As for Dai Shimaron, King Lanzhil has yet to express his opinion of the events that took place while you were here._

_Thank you very much for your invitation. I am extremely grateful to be invited to your country. However, as your advisors have told you, I cannot make any suspicious moves while Dai Shimaron is still mistrustful of me. As such, I will accept your invitation, but will have to fulfill it at a later date. I will notify you prior to my visit._

_Signed,_

_Saralegui, King of Shou Shimaron_

The young king blew gently on the paper to make the ink dry faster. When he was sure all the ink had dried, he rolled the letter up and tied it neatly with an official ribbon.

He rang a bell to call the one of the men-at-arms outside his room in. Upon entering, Saralegui handed over the letter and instructed him to have it delivered to the Maou, pretending to be oblivious to the surprised look on the soldier's face.

Once that was done, he turned his attention back to his packing. He had a rendezvous with a person he could barely remember in enemy country. _This will be fun_.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

They travelled on horseback, just him and Berias, and in disguise. Until they reached their destination, Berias was his father and they were tourists from Dai Shimaron on the way home.

To keep up appearances, they had avoided using their usual mounts, instead taking two of the other horses from the royal stables. Even so, they still garnered plenty of attention from other travelers and lodgers along the way. Several of the serving girls hung around the pair at every lodging-house they stopped at each night, clearly hoping to be noticed and invited to join them. Saralegui and Berias simply acted as though the girls were transparent, though they made no comments on the significantly better service they received.

On the seventh day of travelling, also the tenth day after the arrival of Alazon's invitation, they crossed the border into Dai Shimaron. The border guards barely spared them a second glance, waving the dark-haired man and the boy with a wide-brimmed hat through along with all the other travelers.

Once they'd turned off the main highway and into the less exposed forest, Saralegui shook his bright hair out of the hat with a sigh of relief. "I do hope our own border guards are better than that."

"I believe they would be on high alert, especially on this border, after the… recent events involving Dai Shimaron," replied Berias. "This way, Your Majesty," he added, turning down the opposite arm of the fork.

Saralegui guided his horse to follow his companion. He'd never tell the man, but it was rather amusing to see how Berias homed in on Alazon the way fireflies homed in on their mates over large distances. "Berias, how is it that you can sense her power but I cannot?"

Berias glanced at him sharply, which was his way of showing surprise. "Perhaps it's because I am better acquainted with her power. She is masking it at present, but I can still recognize it beneath the veil."

"Why would she need to mask her power?" inquired the blonde. "Does Lanzhil not know who the true leader of the White Ravens is?"

"I believe so," answered his guard. "Alazon's goal is the Holy Sword. Lanzhil – Dai Shimaron, even – must have been a mere tool in her plans."

Saralegui chuckled. "A very useful one too, seeing as she has this Holy Sword in her possession after such a long search." Berias had filled him in on the essentials of the matter along the journey, and by now, he knew that Alazon had sent for him to use the Holy Sword for Seisakoku. He still hadn't decided whether or not to do so, preferring to play by ear as the situation called.

Soon, the path began to slope upwards, becoming steeper and rockier with each bend. Before long, they emerged from the forest onto a mountain track. _Should I put that hat on again?_ _No, there's nobody to see us anyway…_ Saralegui concentrated, spreading houryoku-enhanced senses outwards to detect the presence of other humans. He had done this earlier, upon entering the forest, but had found no one.

This time, he picked up several spots of houryoku, presumably from houseki, over a large area in front of him – the whole mountain, probably. Saralegui concluded that these were houryoku-wielding sentries of the White Raven. _We're getting close. Where's Alazon, though? Her power should be great enough to be sensed from here._ He frowned, pushing his senses in the direction where the houryoku appeared most concentrated.

Suddenly, an unexpected flare of power jarred his focus. He opened his eyes, glaring at Berias. "What was that for?"

"I thought it would be best to notify Alazon of our arrival," answered his guard. "She or her subordinates would probably have noticed my flare."

"We are early, aren't we?" _Perhaps being early is better. It would throw off any plans she might have designed for us… not that she is likely to, but it's always best to consider everything._

The man nodded. "Yes, but I thought that since we've already arrived, it would be best to stay with the White Ravens until the best time to operate the Holy Sword. We wil have more time to get acquainted with our surroundings. I did not expect them to be so close to the border."

_Neither did I._ Saralegui 's brow crinkled. _I would personally prefer to stay away from them a little longer… but staying in Dai Shimaron for any longer than necessary would be a waste of time. As soon as this is over, I want to visit Shin Makoku. _ "Very well then. Let's go."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Saralegui, my son." Her voice was caressing, but her face was cold, distant and haughty.

The blonde king inclined his head. "Queen Alazon," he replied, not missing a beat. What had he expected anyway? A warm hug, tears, exclamations of joy upon the reunion of mother and son? No, if his mother were anything like himself, such a thing would be impossible, even laughable.

Still, it _would_ have been nice if she acted as though she felt _some_ form of affection towards him.

She swept down from her throne, approaching him. "I am glad to see that you have taken my request for your presence to heart."

"It was no trouble. I knew that you required my help to save your country." Saralegui kept his speech formal. Both of them were for the moment sailing uncharted waters. Behind him, Berias watched their exchange silently.

Alazon paused before him, statuesque, porcelain, immortal. She was so white, with only small bright spots of color on her face and robes that only made the white appear even starker. "Thank you, Berias, for passing on my message. You have served me faithfully."

"It is my duty to serve the ruler of Seisakoku," answered the guard, his voice neutral.

"Saralegui, do you know your purpose here?" inquired Alazon.

The young king nodded. "You need me to wield the Holy Sword to revive Seisakoku, or so I hear."

"That is correct." She smiled, if an upward curve of the lips denoted a smile. "Janus, bring the sword."

A shadow just outside the shaft of light illuminating the throne moved. "Yes, Your Majesty." It detached from the rest of the darkness, something glinting as it came forward.

As it came into the light, it was revealed to be a man with black hair, clad in dark clothes and with strange purple markings under his eyes. He knelt beside the queen, proffering a chipped, discolored sword-shaped item with both hands.

She gripped it with one hand, holding it horizontally before her. "This, my son, is our country's Holy Sword."

Saralegui's eyebrows crinkled. "It's not in a very… good state," he commented. Inwardly, he thought, _Good gods, _this_ pathetic object is the Holy Sword?! What has happened to it? I can barely feel its power…_

"Indeed, it is not. I believe that by awakening it, though, it will return to its former glory." Alazon's gaze met his, unwavering. "I have tried to do so myself, despite my research findings showing that it can only be awakened by a person of mixed blood. As expected, I was unsuccessful. My country's hopes rest fully upon you, Saralegui."

"Since you put it that way, I have no other choice." The blonde reached out with his right hand, curling his fingers firmly around the old sword and summoning his houryoku at the same time.

As soon as his grip tightened enough to support its weight, the sword flared a blinding gold light that threw the huge, shadowy hall into sharp relief. Had Saralegui turned, he would have seen several black-clad people crouched in what were previously shadows, probably guards of sorts.

But Saralegui did not turn – he was too captivated by what was happening to the sword in his grasp to pay attention to anything else.

Even as he watched, the old sword shed layers of dirt, rust, and mold, its light shining brighter with each passing second. The humming in his mind, which had been present since he'd entered the hall and become louder when Janus had brought the sword to them, increased tenfold in volume, making his whole body shiver in the wake of the vibrations.

Chipped parts of the sword reformed before his eyes, the bright gold light solidifying and melding with the rest of the now-gleaming metal. Slowly, the brilliance dimmed, as did the humming in his mind.

Then a voice spoke, a voice neither male nor female, living nor dead, old nor young; a voice that thrummed with power and resonated in his mind.

_Hello, young one. I am Gyvenimas. You may call me Veni. I assume you are my new companion?_

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**A/N: OMG I haven't updated in what, **_**half a year**_**?! –ducks rotten tomatoes– I'm really, really sorry, but things have been so hectic, and they're not likely to calm down anytime soon (even though it's the holidays T.T). I'm doing my best, but I'm updating something like a few lines a day due to time constraints and plain exhaustion. If this chapter seems choppy… well, that's the reason why. Oh, and it doesn't help that I've gotten hooked on Bleach either. I've finished the series, so anyone can recommend any nice anime I can watch next?**

**By the way, **_**Gyvenimas**_** means 'life' in Lithuanian. It was the nicest, coolest-sounding translation I could find. I couldn't read the Russian translation; the ones I considered were Finnish, Danish, Dutch, Latvian, Estonian… (Google Translate is an awesome tool XD) Anyways, I thought it would be nice to give the sword a name, because calling it 'Holy Sword' all the time is irritating to type O.o plus it doesn't sound **_**personal**_** enough.**

**WHO HATES THE KYOU KARA MAOU THIRD SEASON ENDING, SEND ME A REVIEW. Those who don't hate it, please do review too ^^**

**Reviews inspire me and will revive me when I get back from camp this week. So… please review!! XD**


	6. Rush of Light

_**Six: Rush of Light**_

(Recap)

Then a voice spoke, a voice neither male nor female, living nor dead, old nor young; a voice that thrummed with power and resonated in his mind.

_Hello, young one. I am Gyvenimas. You may call me Veni. I assume you are my new companion?_

(End Recap)

Saralegui was stunned. Assuming that the voice was coming from the sword, an inanimate object was _talking_ to him. Such a thing should _not _be possible.

_Yes, I _am _talking to you. Don't be so close-minded._

Okay, so it really _was_ talking to him and not his own imagination running wild after an overdose of power.

_Hmm…_ The voice seemed to hum contemplatively. _You're half Shinzoku and human, eh? Well, that's the usual… Oh!_

The young king, startled by the exclamation, instinctively thought, _What happened?_

_So much power… so much _untapped_ power… dear child, what have you been doing? Has no one taught you how to use… _The voice trailed off, and Saralegui felt a vague intrusiveness in his mind, as though the sword – Veni – was exploring other, less conscious parts of it. _Ah. I see. You have had no appropriate mentor._

_Did you go through _my_ memories?_ Saralegui demanded, indignant. _You shouldn't invade others' privacy without warning! I never gave you license to _peer_ at my past!_

_Picky, picky, _sang Veni, sounding almost amused. _Wouldn't you want to know more about the person who will be your long-time companion, partner, comrade? That's all I did. Count yourself privileged that I deign to teach you. I'm not used to getting greenlings._

_If you're so fussy, go talk to my mother then, _retorted the blonde, feeling rather ticked off. _She'll be more than happy, _and_ she's much more experienced than I am._

_Oh, but she's a pureblood,_ Veni pointed out. _I make it a point not to respond to purebloods. I like to be exclusive. Half-bloods are so much harder to come by. I can't let people take me for granted, now can I?_

Saralegui was starting to think that the sword had been in disuse for so long that it had forgotten its lofty purpose.

_No, I've been like this since time immemorial, _replied the sword. _Take it or leave it; I'm not going to change anytime soon. By the way, I'd like you to know that I can teach you to use your houryoku in ways far beyond what you can imagine, but with you I cannot revive Seisakoku._

That was, to say the least, a crushing blow. _Why not?_ cried the young king. _I am half-blooded, you say I am powerful… why can't you –_

_I am naught but a glorified catalyst for power,_ said Veni. Its voice held a tinge of regret. _Your power is based in light, heat, sound and thought. I could create three suns from nothing but your power. I could erase the minds and memories of a million people with nothing but your power. But I cannot make the soil fertile or make dry rivers flow with _your_ power. For that, I need one whose power is based in the earth, in the water._

An image surfaced in Saralegui's mind – one of lashing rain and churning earth, of blinding lightning and heaving stones, of fallen flags and fleeing men. _I know someone with that power._

_Hmm… yes, whoever did that would certainly be appropriate,_ replied the sword. _Find this person and persuade him or her to help._

_Does that mean I will have to surrender you?_ The blonde was not particularly happy with the idea.

_No, it does not__. You woke me; you _need_ me. Besides, you interest me. Unless it is an emergency, I will communicate with none but you. Only my companions know I am conscious._

Saralegui decided not to comment on Veni's way of thinking. It sounded uncannily like the way he thought about Yuuri.

_That's partly why you interest me. You're not one of those many idealists that I've come across through the ages. You're calculative and scheming. You've faced life-changing calamities and carry immense burdens. You're _different._ It'll be interesting to see what we'll go through from here on._

Distantly, the young king could hear someone calling his name. _I should go back,_ he told the sword reluctantly.

Veni chuckled. _You haven't gone anywhere. I'm the one who's come here. You can't get rid of me as long as I'm within five feet of you. Open your eyes, child; I won't go away._

Obeying, Saralegui saw his mother standing before him, illuminated by a bright gold light that he seemed to be emitting. Upon closer inspection, he realized that it came from the sword, not himself. The entire hall was lit up with Veni's brilliance.

_This is _your_ power – light. I only amplify it,_ said the sword.

_Thanks. Keep it that way,_ he replied.

"Saralegui?" Alazon was watching him with eyes that held curiosity and perhaps even a little awe. Then, composing herself, she asked, "Have you awakened the Holy Sword?"

Although it was rather obvious and the question was redundant, the blonde answered, "Yes, I have."

The queen smiled. It was rather strange, as though she wasn't used to smiling. "That is wonderful. Thank you so much, my son." She stepped forward, extending her arms as though to hug him.

Saralegui considered stepping away, then relented and allowed her to envelop him in her arms. Her robes were cool to the touch and slippery-smooth. _I feel no closeness to her… why? I thought I wanted a mother, just like Yuuri._

_The grass on the other side is always greener,_ commented Veni philosophically.

_I thought mothers were supposed to be warm and comforting. _She_ isn't,_ argued Saralegui.

The sword sent him the mental equivalent of a shrug. _She does seem to be trying. From what I can tell, she hasn't hugged anyone in a good few decades._

_That may be true,_ agreed the young king.

She held him for a few brief seconds before releasing him. "Now, I am sure you can fulfill my request to return life to Seisakoku."

For some reason, Saralegui had an odd sinking feeling. "My greatest apologies, but that I cannot do."

Alazon frowned. "Why not?"

"My power is not appropriate for this purpose," he explained. "The sword can only use one whose power is base in water and land to revive Seisakoku – my power is based in light, heat, sound and thought."

"So, you cannot do what I ask of you?" Her tone was neutral, as was her expression – she was waiting for a sign of which way to react.

Saralegui shook his head. "I cannot, but –" Before he could finish his sentence, he was flat on the floor, the left side of his face numb.

Looking up, he saw his mother standing over him. Her face had changed completely from the perfect, emotionless cast it had had before. It was now crumpled into a mask of anger, hate and frustration.

"_Useless child_," she gritted. Even her voice was harsher. "I _birthed_ you for this purpose. I carried you in my womb for nine tortuous months; I brought you into this world without care for the pain; I married a _human_ man, all for _this_! And you dare tell me that your power is unsuitable? Had I known, I would _never_ have gone through all that suffering!"

Something struck his backbone, and he rolled on the ground. Pain was starting to set into his face now – the slap had had enough force to make him fall. Again, something hit him; he struggled to get up, but failed as pain shot through his back and legs.

Above him, something was moving; by some miracle, he managed to focus on it. It was a hand, descending at a speed that made it impossible to dodge. Just before it hit, though, it stopped sharply.

"Alazon, what are you _doing_?!" The voice was Berias'. "He is your son! This is not his fault!"

"It _is_ his fault!" screamed the enraged queen. "I have slaved for half my life for this day, for this purpose! Everything was in place! Everything would have gone right – if not for his useless powers! Why couldn't you have had power based in water rather than light; in earth rather than sound?! _Useless_!!" Her foot came down, hard enough to make him cough up blood.

"Control yourself, Alazon!"

"As though I can! _You_ did not suffer by my side! _You_ did not give up everything you had! You have no right to get in the way of my anger!"

"I gave _you_ up, Alazon, and I can see that you've given up your _mind_! You've lost your _humanity_ since I last saw you!"

"How _dare_ you – Get out! Get out of my sight! I never want to see you or this worthless son of mine again! _Go_!"

Keeping his eyes open was getting too difficult; his whole body was aflame with pain. Lost in a sea of houryoku, shock and pain, Saralegui felt someone – probably Berias – picking him up, as if from a great distance. Then he lost consciousness altogether.

The last thing he heard before blacking out was Veni's voice. _This is certainly very entertaining._

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When he returned to consciousness, they were in a forest, and Berias was healing him. The cool numbness of the healing was soothing the innumerable aches throughout his body."Berias…"

The guard did not reply; sweat was beading along his forehead and dripping down the sides of his face as he concentrated on healing. Deciding not to bother him, Saralegui turned his focus inwards. _Veni?_

_Yes, child, I'm here. I told you I wouldn't go away. Let me just say that that is one interesting mother you have._

You're_ not the one getting beaten up,_ retorted the blonde._ I'm quite surprised she let me take you along, actually._

_That man picked me up, and I used your power to teleport us all,_ answered Veni. _I can teach you how to do it some other time, when you're up to it._

_You __teleported__ us out?_ repeated Saralegui. _What's _teleport_?_

_Well, it is a complex thing that requires bending of space and time,_ explained the sword. _I forgot to mention, you have some control of time as well. It is very rare – like I said, you are interesting._

_That's not what I meant, though I don't mind that you told me that,_ said the young king. _I meant, what exactly is a _teleport_?_

_Oh, it is an instantaneous transport from one place to another. In other words, you disappear from the place where you started and reappear in the place where you want to go. I warn you though, it is very costly in terms of power. In fact, doing it without me would be suicidal – you'd use up a good bit of your life-force to sustain your houryoku._

Saralegui felt a little disappointed. _Well, as long as I have you around, it shouldn't be a problem… right? Besides, are there so many others like me that you know how to do this kind of thing so well?_

_We both have limits, so don't try it too often. Also, I already said that the ability to control time is very rare, _clarified Veni. _You are unique, child. The last time I met someone with power anything like yours was a good four thousand years ago. They called him the Great Sage._

_Great Sage?_ The image of Yuuri's soukoku friend appeared in his mind. _They call _him_ the Great Sage too._

_That's definitely not him. The Great Sage I knew was an adult, and as I mentioned, he lived four thousand years ago. I must say that there are plenty of similarities between the two of you, though, once I think about it._

_But he's a Mazoku,_ Saralegui pointed out. _Maryoku and houryoku can't be similar._

_You'd be surprised – they are,_ Veni informed him. _More similar than you'd like to believe. The most distinct difference is the race of those who use them and the common power bases. Maryoku is limited to air, earth, water and fire, and one person generally has power over only one element. Furthermore, humans cannot control it. Houryoku, on the other hand, has a very diverse range of bases – yours is a good example – and can be controlled by humans to a certain extent. I can use the power of both maryoku and houryoku._

_That's good, because the person I had in mind is a half-Mazoku, _commented the blonde.

_Would this person be the _Yuuri_ you are always thinking about?_ inquired the sword.

_He is Yuuri, but I do _not_ think about him all the time._

_If you say so. _Veni did not sound convinced.

Realizing that the healing was over, Saralegui opened his eyes. "Berias?"

"Saralegui." The man's voice was hoarse; he was clearly exhausted. "I did not expect her to react in such a way. I apologize for asking you to meet her and thereby cause you much injury."

"Don't worry. I wanted to meet her myself, and anyway you've healed me," reassured the young king. "Besides, now I have the Holy Sword. Yuuri can save Seisakoku; I'm going to try to persuade him to do so." _At the same time, maybe I'll kill Alazon._

_Is that how you treat the one who united you with me?_ Veni sounded vaguely surprised. _Just make her yield the throne to you. That should be enough punishment for her._

_I'll think about it when I get hold of her. _Aloud, he said, "I already have an invitation from him to visit Shin Makoku. It will not be difficult."

"Sir." Berias bowed his head slightly in agreement.

"By the way, this Holy Sword's name is Gyvenimas," added the blonde. "I'll be referring to it by that name, and I'd like it if you did too."

Berias' eyebrows crinkled. "How do you know its name?"

"It's carved into the hilt," answered Saralegui, lying through his teeth. "I realized it earlier."

"I see." Berias rarely questioned his words. "Your Majesty, we should find a place to lodge tonight. Once again, I apologize – I neglected to bring along our horses."

"That is not a problem," replied the young king. "We will sleep in the palace tonight." _Veni, do you mind teleporting us again? We really have no means of transport, and I'm injured…_

_Just promise that you'll rest well once we're there,_ said the sword, sounding resigned. _I'll need a clear picture of the place you want to go to._

Saralegui quickly conjured up an image of his palace bedroom. _There._

_Well then, here we go_

_._Before he could even brace himself, the world dissolved into a multitude of meaningless colors. His body felt as though it had been dispersed into a million particles that were everywhere and yet nowhere. Time spun, spreading and collapsing upon itself, trapped in a whirlwind of power. Saralegui had no idea how he knew this; he concluded that it must be due to a partial melding of consciousness with Veni, which was controlling the whole thing.

Then all his particles were pulling together, drawn by an irresistible force, forming once more into their original pattern. The whirlwind disappeared, and time flowed again.

Saralegui opened his eyes to see the canopy of his bed. Turning his head, he saw Berias lying next to him, looking disoriented and confused beyond measure. _Whoops._

_Rest,_ commanded Veni, in a tone that brooked no opposition.

"Berias, we're home," said the young king conversationally.

Beside him, the guard leapt to his feet, bowing deeply. "I apologize for –"

"It's alright," Saralegui cut him off. "Now go. Inform the palace that I am back. I will rest now – do not let anyone disturb me."

The man bowed again. "Sir."

As the door closed, Saralegui could feel the beginnings of exhaustion creeping up on him. With the last dregs of his energy, he put aside the sword and pulled the sheets over himself. Within seconds, he was fast asleep.

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They stayed in the palace for almost a week, in which Saralegui had to appease his court with a long, detailed and completely fictional account of his journey to Dai Shimaron as well as deal with administration work that had piled up since the Mazoku's visit. Once all that was sorted out, he began planning his trip to Shin Makoku.

As before, he had to convene the Council before he could leave. This was of especial importance because he had no idea how long this trip would take. He would much have preferred to leave without giving them any notification, but if the ruler of Shou Shimaron vanished for more than a week, they'd start looking for successors. _That_ was not an idea Saralegui liked.

This time, argument was much more straightforward – he actually had plenty of good reasons to go. "It is for the good of Shou Shimaron," Saralegui repeated, spreading his hands on the table and looking at his nobles earnestly. "An alliance with Shin Makoku would encourage trade with them and their other allies; Dai Shimaron can do nothing in the face of the Maou."

"But Your Majesty, we will not be invulnerable to Dai Shimaron," Lord Imran pointed out. "Even though we acknowledge that the Mazoku and their Maou will be a great deterrence to King Lanzhil, it is unwise to believe he will restrain himself from attacking us once he knows we have allied ourselves with his enemy."

"Geographically, we are much closer to Dai Shimaron than to Shin Makoku," added Lady Quinne. "Although they may pledge to come to our rescue, Shou Shimaron will be razed to the ground by the time they arrive with their troops."

"I do not deny these possibilities," replied the young king. "However, the crux of the matter is whether or not we forge an alliance with Shin Makoku. I feel it to be of crucial import. That trade will increase dramatically is undeniable. As for military security, I will be able to negotiate with the Mazoku once I am there."

Murmurs rippled through the hall as the Council deliberated. Another noble, Duke Reben, spoke up. "What of the security of Shou Shimaron in Your Majesty's absence?"

"I judge that our full military strength, inclusive of all border lords and wielders of war houryoku, is enough to hold Dai Shimaron at bay for at least a week. In that time, I will be able to return from Shin Makoku with additional Mazoku forces," answered Saralegui. "King Lanzhil is unlikely to deploy his full military forces on such a small country as us."

Once again, the court dissolved into quiet discussion. Above the indistinct mutterings, the blonde declared, "I ask only that you, my court, will stand by me in this venture. If we work together, it will definitely be accomplished. Shou Shimaron will no longer have to be in fear of the might of Dai Shimaron."

He could see that most of the nobles were beginning to agree with him; some were nodding approvingly, others shrugging with a 'wait and see' kind of expression. Saralegui sat back in his throne with a smile. "Let us take a vote. Those in favor, kindly raise your hands."

Slowly at first, then faster, people all along the table began raising their hands. Many of them, seeing their companions raising their hands, shrugged and followed suit. Soon, it was a clear majority.

"Thank you for your approval," said the young king graciously. "This meeting is now adjourned." Standing, he left the room quickly, heading for his rooms at an unnaturally fast speed. As he walked, he told Berias, "Send a missive to the Maou to inform him of my impending arrival. Prepare our fastest ship; don't bother bringing guards. We should reach Shin Makoku within five days."

"Sir." Berias nodded, turning sharply to head in another direction.

_Eager, aren't we?_ commented Veni's now-familiar voice as Saralegui continued on his way.

_You should be, too. We're going to see the person who's going to use you to revive Seisakoku,_ the blonde answered.

_Why should _I_ be eager to meet him? He is just another user. He is not my companion;. _you_ are. Besides, I can tell you're excited. I'm in your mind. It's no use denying anything to me._

Saralegui ignored that last comment. _I think a month would be long enough to work on him. Actually, he should be pretty easy to persuade. I just need to look pathetic and he'll be falling over himself to –_

_Oh, even better. You sound like you're going to seduce him, not become his ally._

_He's my _friend_!_ protested the young king. _I wasn't intending along those lines at all!_

_Like I just said, you can't deny anything to me. I see everything in here. Tell me, do you think you know what is friendship?_

That made Saralegui pause. Because he really didn't.

_I thought not. Tell me then, do you think you know what is love?_

_Yes, I do. Love is feeling good with someone else,_ replied the blonde, pleased that he could answer this at least.

The voice that rang in his head was sad. _I know your experiences, child, and you do not know love in any form except your parents' love. Why did you give yourself away so often, to so many? Do you not recognize the sanctity of your own body?_

_Now you're preaching,_ said Saralegui, not particularly wanting to listen any further. It was starting to make him feel rather uncomfortable. _Shut up and let me pack, or else talk about something else._

_Child, I pity you. I only hope that this Yuuri is the one who can give you the love you so yearn for._

_I do _not_ yearn for love. That is such weakness,_ retorted the young king. _I don't need love._

Veni was silent.

Entering his room, Saralegui went to his closet and started pulling out clothes. He couldn't wait to set off.

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**A/N: Whoa, that was fast! ^^ What with the camp, I actually wrote this in like three days. **_**And**_** it's pretty long. Whee~**

**About the chapter title – I've run out of shades of violet, so from now on (as the story gets less connected to the canon), the chappies will be named after songs by the J-pop group KAT-TUN. I'm just lazy to come up with chapter titles XD and I think the song titles are often very appropriate for ficcies.**

**I hope I'm not going too fast with the whole concept of a conscious, 'talking' sword. I really had fun with Veni and everything, but if you think I'm spending too much time on it and not on the story itself, do let me know. I did use it to slip in some SaraYuu at the end, anyways (for those who are complaining about the sad lack of SaraYuu in a supposedly SaraYuu ficcy). Also, I think I might have rushed the part about Alazon a bit… :-X**

**Please Review!! I need the inspiration XD hoping to get most of this ficcy done by the end of June, and reviews really help!**

**Reviews~~**


	7. Affection

_**Seven: Affection ~**__**Never able to return~**_

Wind whipped through Saralegui's hair as he stood at the ship's prow. No gulls soared overhead; they were far from any shore. The only sounds were the snapping of flags in the wind and the endless swash of waves. All around, as far as the eye could see, were deep blue waves and bright blue skies with white froth and white clouds scudding across.

To put it simply, Saralegui was bored.

_Veni, I'm bored._

_Of course you are._ The voice sounded amused. _Anyone would be._

_Give me something to do. Anything. Teach me something._

_Sure. Why don't we start with something simply – invisibility?_ suggested the sword.

_That means no one will be able to see me, right?_ Saralegui wanted to make sure he had things clear. With Veni, one had to be very precise.

The answer was patient. _Yes, it does. Would you like me to explain the mechanics?_

_Please,_ said the blonde.

_Well, you already know that your power is partly based in light. All you need to do is stop light from _reflecting _from you. You see, things can only be seen when light is reflected off those things into the eyes of people or animals. When no light is reflected off you, you cannot be seen by anything or anybody._

_I see. So how do I prevent light from reflecting off me?_

_Hmm… I suggest imagining it. Different people have different ways of doing things, though, so you don't _have_ to do what I tell you to the letter… unless I tell you that you must do _exactly_ what I want,_ replied Veni soberly.

Saralegui closed his eyes, imagining light rays coming towards him like a storm of spears. Instead of allowing them to bounce off their target – him – he imagined them sinking in and sticking to him, rather like toothpicks in sticky cakes.

_Not quite like that – if you do that, you'd not be able to see properly either,_ cautioned the sword. _Try imagining the light _passing_ through you. Those spears should keep going as though they never hit anything, as though you are air._

Obeying, the young king also thoughtfully bathed the spears in his power. _Would this help?_

_I don't believe so. By rights, _you_ should be wrapped in your own power. It shouldn't require conscious effort…_

_Oh never mind._ Saralegui opened his eyes. To his satisfaction, he found that his hands were no longer visible, his sleeves apparently held up by thin air. However, the rest of his body appeared intact. _Veni?_

_I haven't taught you how to make other object – such as clothes – that are not part of yourself invisible, _said the sword. _You're being too impatient, child._

_Can I help it? This is amazing!_

_I admit that you're doing very well, considering that this is your first try._

Saralegui could almost feel his ego swelling. _Can you teach me more?_

_Sure. Now, you'll have to include your clothes inside your houryoku…_

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By the end of three days, the young king, with the help of his new mentor and companion, had a good grasp of the basics of invisibility, soundlessness and heat minimization. He tested his skills by creeping up on Berias to see if the hyperaware bodyguard would be able to detect him. Berias never noticed that he had company until his ponytail mysteriously came undone, upon which he whipped around and caught Saralegui by the arm in a vice-like grip. The blonde instantly reappeared, laughing heartily at the priceless expression on the normally stoic man's face.

"I'm sorry," he apologized, not sounding at all apologetic.

Berias was not amused. "What are you doing, expending your power like this? Admittedly it is a very useful application, but you should conserve your energy while you can! You don't know what might happen in Shin Makoku –"

"Relax, Berias, I will be fine as long as I have Veni," Saralegui reassured him. "In any case, why are you so worried? I don't believe that the Maou will have any reason to attack me."

"I fear that Alazon may have discovered the reason we are going to Shin Makoku – that the Maou's power is the appropriate power to revive Seisakoku. If this is true, she may choose to come and persuade him to join her. Should that happen, we would be greatly disadvantaged," explained the bodyguard.

The blonde folded his arms, frowning slightly. _He has a point. She might come, hypnotize Yuuri, and steal Veni. Then what'll become of _me_? I have to prevent this from happening at all costs._ "Well, then we just have to get to the Maou before her and persuade him to our cause as quickly as possible."

Berias didn't seem convinced, but he bowed his head. "Sir."

Smiling, Saralegui said, "I'm going to bed now. We should be reaching shore tomorrow, right?" He left the navigation room, heading for his own personal suite. The man followed him, his faithful shadow.

By the time the young king had washed up and gotten ready for bed, the sheets were folded down and the lights dimmed. The blonde had never liked having more servants in his room than he could help, so Berias was accustomed to doing such jobs for his master. Putting Veni and his spectacles on his bedside table, Saralegui pulled the covers over himself and settled in to sleep. _Tomorrow I'll get to see Yuuri._

For what felt like the first time in a long time, he dreamed.

_Rione was rougher than the others before him were. The thought echoed in Saralegui's head, not for the first time, as the man pressed him none-too-gently up against the hard wall, teeth sending jolts of pain and pleasure from the blonde's left ear. Saralegui gasped, arching his back to gain deeper contact._

"_You're so much prettier when you're flustered," whispered the noble, lips brushing his ears. Hands made quick work of the knotted buttons, pushing aside Saralegui's stiff collar to expose his neck. The prince choked back a scream as a skilful mouth assaulted the still-raw mark at the junction of his neck and shoulder._

_Saralegui knew that Berias was somewhere close by, keeping an eye on them to make sure he wasn't physically damaged by Rione while in such a vulnerable state. He'd long since lost any sense of embarrassment in being seen in such a way by his bodyguard. Berias also kept others away from them, which was definitely a good thing – if the king heard of his son being involved in such illicit activities barely past puberty, there would be no end of trouble._

_In any case, it was his father's fault he was turning to nobles like Rione who were only too happy to entertain the young, needy prince._

_Rione's hands were burning on his back and stomach. "So, my prince, what will it be today?" Seeing that the blonde was incapable of answering, he chuckled and knelt, pushing aside Saralegui's robes and undoing his leggings. The youth's member was already weeping with need. As he had done several times before, Rione swallowed it, stroking the length with his practiced tongue._

_Saralegui's nails dug mercilessly into the wall behind, chipping paint when he jerked involuntarily as he went over the edge._

Just as he came in the dream, Saralegui woke up. He was drenched in sweat and his heartbeat was uncomfortably erratic. _Why did I dream of that, so many years after I ordered Rione killed?_

_Had a nice dream?_ That was Veni, mercilessly sarcastic.

_Shut up._ The blonde pulled the overheated covers off himself, getting out of bed and heading for the washstand. He didn't feel at all rested. Even holding the water jug seemed to be too much work as he washed away the sweat and the feeling of dirtiness that accompanied it.

_Want to talk about it?_ invited the sword, sounding much kinder than it had earlier. _It might make you feel better._

Not particularly eager to return to the still-warm bed, he went to stand by the porthole. Cold dark waves with stark white crests filled his field of vision, dimming the last echoes of hot ecstasy. _No. It's not like you don't know already. I know that you look through my memories while I'm not paying attention._

Veni didn't deny it, probably because it was true. Leaving it at that, the young king leaned his heated head against the cool glass of the porthole.

As he'd entered his teenage years, Saralegui had become increasingly conscious and increasingly intolerable of the ever-present yawning void in himself, the void that should have been filled naturally but somehow had never been, the void that ached for affection in any form. His father was always distant and cold, more of a figure of respect rather than one of family; Berias always carefully maintained the master-servant boundary. So he'd had to find a source of affection elsewhere – in the arms of hot-blooded noblemen all too willing to entertain him.

He couldn't remember how many there were – apart from Rione, most of them had been nameless, faceless entities that had existed for only the brief period in which his interest in them remained. After he decided they weren't worth his attention, he simply erased their memories of him and moved on to another. That had been the case until he encountered Rione.

Originally he'd thought that the noble, a second son of some earl or other with a reputation for promiscuity, would be the perfect pastime. No more of those idiots who weren't sure whether they could actually treat their prince like a sex toy or were afraid of his father finding out. This man bedded women the night before their weddings, right under their parent's noses. Saralegui was sure there would be no problems of the sort he'd faced before.

He was right. There were no reservations on Rione's part. The noble, in his early twenties and undeniably gorgeous, took him as far and further than Saralegui had intended. It had been an amazing experience, the thrill of danger of writhing naked in the large cupboard at the back of the king's office, the unimaginable ecstasy of bathing with someone else (in a rather less-than-innocent fashion)… and before he knew it, he was in deeper than he should ever have been.

Berias didn't tell him, but he didn't need to be told. He realized just how vulnerable he was to the older man. Rione could do almost anything to him, bind him and trap him and all but rape him, and he wouldn't – couldn't – protest or punish the noble. The knowledge that he was going to be king soon (what with his father's incurable illness) drove home the point. But he couldn't solve the problem the way he had the others, because most of the palace knew about what was going on with him and Rione.

So he did the only other thing he could think of. He ordered Rione to commit suicide. Naturally, the noble did so very obligingly, making half the court break down in tears and the other half heave a deep sigh of relief. And Saralegui was rid of him… until now.

_That's how you deal with people who you can't control? You kill them?_ inquired Veni, sounding almost sad.

Saralegui ignored the sword, going back to his now somewhat cooler bed. There was Yuuri to look forward to tomorrow. For the moment he would just forget about this and hope he didn't encounter any more such dreams.

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When he next woke up, gulls were screaming overhead and the shore was visible through the porthole window. Saralegui had to suppress the excitement bubbling up in him – they were in Shin Makoku!

_I'm not eager,_ he added for Veni's benefit. The sword didn't bother to reply.

There was a knock on the door, and Berias came in. "Your Majesty, we will dock in Shin Makoku within the hour."

"Very well," answered the blonde. "Send a messenger pigeon to the Maou informing him of our imminent arrival on his shores. I believe we are worthy of an escort."

"Sir." The Shinzoku guard left, closing the door quietly as he did so.

Rolling out of bed, Saralegui began to prepare himself to meet the Maou on his own ground.

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As Berias had predicted, they were able to dock in just under an hour. Saralegui was not surprised to see that they indeed had a welcoming entourage – the Maou and his retainers, several of whom the blonde recognized from their visit to his own palace. There was the noisy blonde, the brunette Berias seemed so fixated on, and the bespectacled soukoku, among others. And of course, there was Yuuri himself.

The Maou, apparently feeling no need for the propriety normally expected of a king, had forsaken much of his dignity, waving madly and shouting "Sara!" at the top of his voice. After a short but intense internal debate on whether he should respond with his customary politeness or with exuberance to match the soukoku, Saralegui settled for the latter, smiling and waving back to Yuuri with more energy than he normally liked to expend.

_I'm _not_ excited, just responding in kind,_ he stated rebelliously. Veni just laughed, not bothering to refute him.

Once he and Berias stepped onto land, he flew towards Yuuri in keeping with his previous enthusiasm and flung his arms around the soukoku. "Yuuri! Oh, I've been waiting _so_ long to see you!"

"Hi Sara," greeted the Maou, seeming rather rattled by the blonde's unexpected excitement. "I'm so happy you could come!"

"I came as soon as I could get away," replied Saralegui. He was quite grateful he had chosen to hug Yuuri – the blonde still hadn't regained his land legs and leaning on Yuuri helped.

There was a discreet cough somewhere behind the Maou, and glancing over the younger boy's shoulder, Saralegui saw the brunette – Weller, if he remembered correctly – watching them with amusement. The blonde who claimed to be Yuuri's fiancée was sending him poisonous glances; if looks could kill, Saralegui would probably have been dead the moment he hugged Yuuri. The purple-haired Mazoku, meanwhile, looked as though he'd just glimpsed heaven.

"Why don't we talk at the castle?" suggested Weller diplomatically.

"Good idea, Conrad," agreed Yuuri. "Sara, would you mind if we ride? Sorry, but I was in such a hurry to get to the port that there wasn't time to get a carriage."

He was wearing that adorably sheepish look that made Saralegui want to laugh and at the same time force himself to be restrained so that he wouldn't hurt the younger boy's feelings. "I don't mind at all."

The ride back was more enjoyable than the king of Shou Shimaron had thought it would be. For one thing, the landscape was refreshingly different, as was the language. Most countries were fluent in Shimarese, the language of business due to Dai Shimaron's bicentennial domination of the greater part of the known world. In Shin Makoku, which had resolutely remained independent of the greedy conqueror, Mago (or Demon Language) was heard everywhere, with common or rude Shimarese terms slipped into regular conversation. Saralegui was happy to find that his secret studies in the forbidden language had paid off – he could understand most of what was being said, even though they probably thought he couldn't.

"Yuuri, you're being such a cheater," complained the self-proclaimed fiancée in Mago. "Don't you realize that he's just trying to take advantage of you?"

"Sara wouldn't do such a thing," declared the Maou in the same language. "He's my friend, Wolfram."

So, the fiancée's name was Wolfram, and clearly he had a tendency for jealousy. Saralegui stored that information for later use. His blank expression apparently had them fooled about his understanding their language for the moment.

Yuuri chattered nearly endlessly for the rest of the ride, and the other king had a hard time keeping his satisfaction that the Maou completely ignored his fiancée's sulk to himself.

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"So you are the famous king of Shou Shimaron," remarked a blonde woman in a black dress that fitted her like a second skin, doing nothing to diminish the ripe curves of her body. "Yuuri's been telling us all about you."

"I'm honored to have been the subject of your conversations," replied Saralegui. "May I have the pleasure of knowing your name, beautiful lady?"

She laughed and before he knew it he was being crushed in her slender yet surprisingly strong arms. "You're so _cute_! I can see why Yuuri likes you so much! You're like my Wolf–"

"Mother!" interrupted Wolfram. "Don't you dare compare me with a slimy creature like _him_!"

"Wolfram!" scolded several people at once, Yuuri and the woman included.

_Idiot. Even if I didn't understand what you said, the tone makes it quite clear._ The young king kept his scorn to himself, saying instead, "Oh, you're Sir Wolfram's mother? He is very lucky to have such a beautiful, and I am certain, accomplished lady for a mother."

"You are such a flatterer." She flicked a hand at him. "I'm sure the ladies in your court are all over you."

Behind them, Yuuri gave a slightly embarrassed cough. "Sara, this is Lady Cecilie von Spitzberg. She's Wolfram, Conrad and Gwendal's mother."

"I haven't met Sir Gwendal before, but I'm sure all your sons do you great credit, Lady von Spitzberg," commented the other king with a bright smile.

"Don't call me that! It makes me sound so old," protested the woman. "It's Cheri, got it? Cheri!"

"Yes, Cheri-sama." Saralegui bowed without resistance. "Ne Yuuri, I thought you said you had a daughter?"

"She's right here." The soukoku, gently pushed a small girl with coffee-colored skin and hair and hazel eyes forward. "This is Greta. Greta, this is Sara."

"I'm Saralegui," said the blonde, subtly correcting the other's words. "It's a great pleasure to meet you, Greta-san. Yuuri likes to talk about you."

"Yuuri talked about me to you?" Greta's expression instantly changed from one of mild fear and anticipation to one of excitement. "What did he say? Did he tell you why he adopted me?"

Saralegui shook his head. "No, I'm afraid not. I would like to know, though. I'm sure it would be a very interesting story."

The little girl giggled. "Yes, it is! We'll tell you all about it –"

"Now, Greta, we don't really have time for that," Yuuri cut in hurriedly. "We still haven't told Sara about the party!"

"What party?" The other king tilted his head, the picture of puzzlement.

Yuuri waved his hands around awkwardly. "Well, erm, you see, since you're a king and all, Gunter wanted to throw a party to celebrate your arrival. I told him you'd be tired and all that, I mean it's the first day you're here and you just got off your ship, but he wouldn't listen, not even when Gwendal said no – I think Gunter just wants to throw a party, there hasn't been one in ages –"

"Yuuri, you're babbling," commented the bespectacled soukoku calmly.

"Am I? Sorry," he apologized, a look of abject guilt on his face. "But you see, I –"

"It's okay," interrupted Saralegui, averting the danger of another slew of unintelligible explanation from the Maou. "I'm sure we'll be up to a party tonight, especially if we get to have a short rest before it." By 'we', he was naturally referring to Berias and himself. Up till now, the bodyguard had remained silent for the most part, sticking close to him like the proverbial shadow.

The younger boy relaxed visibly. "Oh, then that's okay! We'll definitely let you rest. But before that, I promised I'd show you around Blood Pledge Castle, didn't I?"

"Indeed you did," agreed the blonde king. "Berias, I will leave the luggage in your charge." Without waiting for a response from the Shinzoku guard, he bounced over to Yuuri. "What would you like to show me?"

"Let's go to the kitchens!" The Maou quickly led him off down one of the corridors, leaving their retainers staring at each other nonplussed in the entrance hall.

_Have fun,_ cheered Veni. _Don't worry, I won't intrude on you two._

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**A/N: Darn, I wanted to upload a chappie every week of this very short holiday period. Looks like I couldn't. I'll try very hard to get the next chapter done within the month, though you all know by now not to count on it. Stick with me, though. This ficcy is moving along pretty well ;D unlike some of my others which are totally stuck.**

**Took the idea of Saralegui being less than innocent from LaChoy's ficcy Close. Pushed the rating up too, hope y'all don't mind 'cause there'll be SaraYuu of this kind of rating further on in the ficcy. Rione is a figment of my imagination, of course, and so are the languages of the KKM universe. I thought they added a new dimension to things ^^**

**Is Saralegui getting OOC? Do tell me what you think of what I'm doing with the characters! Sorry if I haven't been replying your reviews, but it's because I'm busy writing the fic :-X I'll reply when I can, and don't take it personally! Feedback is really inspirational and I need what inspiration I can get XD**

**Please Review!!**


	8. Keep the Faith

_**Eight: Keep the Faith**_

_I've half a mind to dress up as a girl, just to tease them all,_ Saralegui confessed to Veni.

The ancient sword gave the mental equivalent of a laugh. _I like that idea. If I've read you right, you first met this Yuuri when _he_ was in a dress, didn't you?_

_Precisely. I'm sure he remembers it too._ The blonde didn't notice the genuine smile that was tugging at his lips, methodically combing his long, silky hair. _Besides, I'm sure I can pass for one better than him – for one thing, I don't have to worry about wigs. The only problem is _who_ to get the clothes from._

_Ask the maids. Palace maids, in my experience, are always very helpful when it comes to pretty youngsters like you,_ Veni said, with more than a touch of drollery in its tone. _And those maids earlier were clearly _very_ pleased with you._

Saralegui actually gave the suggestion some thought. _You have a point there. I can just mesmerize one of them to get me a dress and help me with the outfit._

_Maybe you should check whether this is a really large-scale party or just an intimate gathering, or your public image will end up in such minute fragments that even I wouldn't be able to piece it back together,_ warned Veni, clearly alarmed that he was really going to carry out the absurd plan.

_Hmm. That would be a problem,_ agreed the young king wryly. _Should I call a maid and ask…?_

_It's a perfectly innocent question; go ahead._

Opening the door, Saralegui was mildly surprised to find one of the maids – the one with red hair and a green dress, named Lasagna or something like that – rather too conveniently walking down the corridor. He had a strong suspicion she had been waiting for him to exit his room, perhaps to be the first to see his outfit for the party (even though it wouldn't be for a couple of hours yet). He'd never really understood the workings of the female mind.

"Excuse me," he began politely.

She colored visibly even in the dim light, coming over at once. "Can I help you, Your Majesty?"

"Perhaps you could," replied Saralegui with his most disarming smile. "Would you happen to know the scale of party to be held tonight?"

"Um, if you mean how big it is, it's just for Blood Pledge Castle. Sir von Christ said that the big party – when all the important people are invited – will be tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow," explained the redhead.

He rewarded her with another smile. "Thank you very much for your help." Even as he spoke, he drew on his power, letting it flow up to his eyes. With Veni, even something as simple as this was accelerated; his eyes glowed blue and his power reached into the woman and the guards around (a particularly interesting and useful skill Veni had taught him). A few quick commands, and she was off to do as he'd instructed; the guards were completely unaware that anything had happened. Saralegui, meanwhile, retreated back into his room.

_Good job with the mesmerizing,_ commended Veni. _I'm still amazed that you're actually going to do this, though._

_It's a small party; the rest of the 'important people' wouldn't be here. I'm sure Yuuri and other people here will be very forgiving._ A smile appeared on his face again, but it wasn't nearly as nice as the one he'd given the maid. _We'll make sure of that, won't we?_

Veni laughed again, only this time the mental impression carried traces of a half-insane glee that came from wielding much too great a power for much too long a time. _Of course we will._

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The expression on Berias' face when he came in to escort him to the party was simply priceless. Saralegui managed to restrain his laughter – just barely. "Is there something you'd like to say, Berias?"

His bodyguard coughed, quickly composing himself. "Your Majesty, do you mean to attend this inaugural party in such a… flamboyant outfit?"

_Flamboyant? Well, now that I look at it again, it does seem a little elaborate… Maybe it's the hairpiece. I knew I should've just left my hair down, but that maid was so insistent… _Saralegui faced the mirror, admiring the new – female – person he saw there. The earrings were a nice touch, but perhaps they were too much? Maybe he should've paid more attention to female fashions before. "Should I remove some of the accessories?"

Berias surveyed the feminine figure before him, this time with a rather calmer frame of mind. "Your Majesty, I strongly recommend wearing things that are relatively easier to change out of, because I highly doubt that you will stay in this for the whole night."

"That's true," conceded Saralegui. "I guess the layered underskirt is a little too troublesome." _Come back,_ he sent down the mental connection he had, feeling it might come in useful, maintained with the maid. She reappeared in a matter of moments (servants always had ways to get around fast), eyes glazed as she helped in the removal of the aforementioned garment.

The young king examined his reflection critically before deciding that his figure was indeed still passably feminine with the help of the careful cutting of the fabric. Decorative sandals served adequately as footwear. After another moment's thought, he removed the earrings and bracelets, though he left the choker necklace alone. "Better?" he inquired of Berias.

His bodyguard's frown seemed to deepen even further, but he nodded slowly. "If Your Majesty is indeed set upon this…"

"I am," replied the blonde, rather tartly. He pointed ignored Berias, instructing the mesmerized maid to hang on to his more conventional party clothes, meet him when he called and so on.

_A woman's costume needn't always mean a woman's character,_ commented Veni. _Not that I have anything against women, but you're currently exhibiting the behavior of the worst of them._

_Is it wrong to want to have fun?_ Saralegui wanted to know.

_Certainly not. But you can't blame him for being disapproving,_ answered the sword. _He's just worried for you._

_I'll be _fine_. What can they do to me in the Maou's presence?_

Veni sent him the impression of a sigh. _Well, I for one am rather anxious. You won't have me around, not while you're in that outfit. If you actively try to extend your consciousness into my range, that might still be possible, but it's costly in terms of power and not advisable unless in case of an emergency._

_I highly doubt that there will be an emergency. Like I said, I'll be with the Maou,_ repeated the young king, beginning to get exasperated.

The sword seemed to sense his emotions and immediately backed off. _Very well then. Go ahead, and good luck._

For some reason, that made him calm down. _Thanks._

_Bring me to the ballroom by an alternative route such that nobody will see us,_ he commanded the maid. Carrying Veni, she moved to the door. Saralegui followed, with Berias at his heels.

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Yuuri's eyes looked like they were about to pop out of his head. "Y-you – wait, you can't be Sara… right?"

The other king feigned hurt. "I'm shocked that you couldn't recognize me at once, Yuuri." He smiled, in a way that might have come across as either seductive or secretive. "Doesn't this remind you of the first time we met?"

"Oh! Yes, it does." The Maou blushed at the memory of himself masquerading as a girl and dancing with Saralegui. Behind him, the blonde fiancée was spluttering indignantly, red-faced with rage and just barely restrained by his brothers – who looked like they might consider the idea of just letting the younger boy have go at him.

Cheri-sama appeared at that point, effectively dissipating the tension while she praised all her sons and Yuuri on their outfits. The tension returned with a vengeance when she started cooing over Saralegui's choice of dress, however.

"My dear, I can see that you are a _real_ man! To think that you would dare to wear a dress! My boys would never have done it willingly," she told him, pursing her lips disapprovingly at her sons. "They think people would think less of them for it. I really don't see how that would happen, would you? Especially not a a nice private gathering like this!"

Gwendal muttered something that sounded like "for good reason"; Conrad wore a smile that was starting to look rather stiff; Wolfram, if it was possible, became even more incensed. The blonde king bit back the laughter that threatened to spill from his lips any moment.

If the purple-haired Mazoku hadn't interrupted at that point, Saralegui might just have been beaten up by Wolfram. As it was, the purple-haired Mazoku _did_ interrupt. "Everyone, what are you doing? You know very well that this is a dry run practice before the _real_ party next week!"

"Oh? That means we're to dance, right?" Saralegui put on his brightest smile. "I love dancing!"

The purple-haired Mazoku looked suitably dazzled. "Why, that's lovely! Your Majesty Yuuri, do you see? Dancing is an important social skill!"

"Um, Sara, this is Gunter," said Yuuri, a blatant attempt at changing the topic. "I forgot to introduce him to you earlier. He's my tutor."

Saralegui laughed inwardly, remembering Yuuri's previous explanation of how his tutor would keep him captive in mountains of books during their tour of the castle. "I'm honored to meet the Maou's tutor," he said, straight-faced.

"No, no, the pleasure's all mine, Your Majesty Saralegui," replied Gunter immediately, clasping the blonde's extended hand.

Wolfram cleared his throat noisily. "Are we going to dance or what?" he demanded.

"Of course we will." Gunter gestured to the group of musicians, and almost at once music filled the hall.

"Wolfie, I'll dance with you!" Cherie pulled her protesting son into the middle of the dance floor.

Saralegui smiled at Yuuri. "Shall we?"

"Eh? B-but –" Yuuri had somehow managed to turn the color of Cherie-sama's blood-red nails in five seconds flat. "Um, I don't know how to dance!"

"What are you saying, Your Majesty? You are an excellent dancer!" protested Gunter, clearly affronted that his protégé was denying his skills in front of another king.

"But –" Yuuri looked very uncomfortable. "But Saralegui –"

"Well, I'm sure there won't be a problem," interrupted the blonde chirpily. "Let's go." He took the Maou's arm and all but dragged him to the dance floor.

"Sara, I –" The soukoku still didn't look particularly happy.

Saralegui moved closer to the other king, so close that his lips were just behind Yuuri's ear. The younger boy stiffened even more. "I just want to dance with you again, Yuuri. Only, this time you'll lead."

There was a muffled shriek from behind, presumably from Wolfram, which both of them ignored. "Um… if you say so, then…" Yuuri, hesitantly, moved in an awkward imitation of the dance.

Smiling, Saralegui followed him smoothly, subtly guiding the younger boy. The dance itself was simple, and the female's steps weren't that far off from the male's anyway. "You _can_ dance, Yuuri."

"No, I'm sure you're much better than I am, Sara," said the other king at once, that familiar sheepish look adorning his face.

They talked quite easily after that, about everything and nothing, about themselves and their countries and anything in between. The dance was a waltz, the kind that seems quite interminable and never really ends as long as people are still dancing, and time became meaningless. It was just them – two boys, two kings, two immensely powerful mages – talking and laughing and dancing together…

The music finally ended, and Saralegui stepped away from the Maou's hold not without some reluctance to perform the obligatory curtsey. "Thank you for the dance."

After a moment's hesitation, Yuuri bowed as well. Rising from it, he smiled at the blonde, a smile full of honest happiness and enjoyment. "That was fun!" he said.

"Now, Your Majesty, how many times have I told you – you must not show obvious favors to a particular partner, as this will be constituted as…" Gunter bore the soukoku away, a flood of reprimands pouring effortlessly from his mouth. Saralegui grinned at Yuuri's helpless expression and made for the seats at the edge of the floor.

A sudden, strange feeling passed over him, and he instinctively looked around. Outside the window, the moon was colder than it had any right to be; no clouds softened its sharp outline against the equally cold, dark sky.

_Alazon_… For some reason, the image of the woman who birthed him appeared in his mind. He banished it at once, but was still unable to shake off the feeling of unease that had accompanied it.

He quickly called for the maid to bring his proper clothes. If she appeared, it was clearly a wiser choice not to face her in a dress.

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Over the next few days, Yuuri took it upon himself to get Saralegui acquainted not just with Blood Pledge Castle and its inhabitants but also with the village, villagers and a good bit of the countryside surrounding it. The blonde king had no complaints – his mission was to get the Maou on his side, and what better way to do that than to spend time with him?

In any case, it wasn't as if spending time with Yuuri was a chore. Yuuri was sweet, really sweet and not the fake sugary sweet that he knew so much better from his courtiers. It was refreshing and amusing to the older boy and he enjoyed being the one receiving it.

And yet, that somehow made him scared. Not of Yuuri, but of himself. In the other's company, he realized that there was so much he dared not show, so much darkness, emptiness, rage, pain and ruthlessness that the innocent and idealistic Maou would surely draw back from.

He dared not be himself, because he was such a corrupted being that he had no right to be with Yuuri.

_Stop that,_ scolded Veni. _He's not some god, completely flawless. He _does_ have his flaws. Simply because you are more worldly doesn't mean you are worse than he is._

_I didn't say anything,_ protested Saralegui. _Besides, that doesn't matter. I'm going to use him anyway._

The sword sent him a very pronounced feeling of exasperation. _You are truly annoying when you refuse to see what is in front of your nose._

_I have no idea what you are trying to say,_ replied the young king stiffly.

_You have to know that Yuuri is not the one who obliterated the Dai Shimaron army that time. It was the Maou, and I can safely say that the Maou is as merciless as you are,_ Veni informed him._ Get your perspectives straight, child. Who are you facing? Who is your target? What do you want from him?_

_I want the Maou, and I want him to help me defeat Alazon and resurrect Seisakoku,_ said Saralegui firmly. _But to get to the Maou, I must get Yuuri first._

_Will he not aid you if Alazon were to attack you in his presence?_

The blonde king thought about it. _She might be able to persuade him that I am the renegade who stole you from her._

_Do you really believe that? You're his _friend_, as he says. You would have a much greater hold on him than your mother._

_Very well, I admit that he is more likely to help me. And do _not_ call her my mother. She disowned me; I do not acknowledge her,_ said Saralegui sharply.

_As you say._ Veni didn't seem concerned about that. _I would just like to remind you that you need him to know you. He already trusts you, but that won't help if you feel that he is trusting the façade you show him and not the real you. Open yourself to him, child; you might be surprised at his reaction._

_How would _you_ know?_ demanded the young king. _You know him even less than I do._

_That is not exactly true. I know him better than you because I can see him with clear eyes, while you are blinded because you are constantly comparing him with yourself. And I know because I have met that spirit, the spirit of the Maou, a long time before, many millennia ago – though at that time it occupied another body._

There was a knock on the door, and Saralegui immediately pulled his attention away from the silent conversation to answer the door. It was Yuuri, in the flesh. "Hi, Sara, sorry to disturb you so late…"

"It's no problem," replied the blonde reassuringly, closing the door behind the other king. "Is there anything you need me for?"

The soukoku looked vaguely uncomfortable, not embarrassed, but almost as though he was doing something against the rules. "I… wanted to show you something."

"Oh? What is it?" Saralegui cocked his head, curious.

Yuuri bit his lip. "Come with me?"

"Sure." Unobtrusively, the blonde mesmerized the guards outside to not notice anything out of the ordinary. Then, he followed the Maou out.

They made their way through the palace without any incident, partly due to Saralegui's efforts to mask their presence with Veni's help. He'd brought the sword along just in case.

Eventually, they made it to the place Yuuri wanted to go to – the top of the tallest tower in Blood Pledge Castle.

The wind whipped through his long hair, but Saralegui paid it no mind. The stars were brilliant points of light in the velvety night sky; the moon looked amazingly close, seemingly within reach, and it bathed the entire scene in bright silver. Everything looked positively ethereal. Even the leaves of the trees were silver, as though they had somehow grown out of metal.

From this height, the village and the farmhouses outside it looked small and faraway. "It's beautiful, Yuuri," he said softly.

"I know." The Maou was gazing out at everything, turning in a slow circle, his eyes holding a strange light. "This is my country. This is my land, my people, and I love them all. I want to protect them… preserve this for someone else to see."

Saralegui felt something strange within himself, something like sadness but not quite, something like regret and yet not really. _Can I ever love anything, anyone, so purely?_

There was a long moment of silence, a silence so full that it spoke much more than words could. Then Yuuri turned to him with a smile. "That's what I wanted to show you. Isn't it great to be a king, Sara? We can do so much to help everyone!"

The blonde king felt his mouth open, speaking of its own volition. "Of course."

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**A/N: Finally got it done! I don't feel very happy with it, actually, but I guess it does serve its purpose. I'll put more SaraYuu bonding in the next chappie, since I kinda skirted the issue here. The angsting was weird… :-X but I think it needs to be there. I personally like the dance ^^**

**I officially love Veni. It's like the best idea I ever had. Conscience, conspirator and confidante all in one – what more could I ask for? XD**

**Please review!**


	9. RESCUE

_**Nine: RESCUE**_

Saralegui closed his eyes with a soft sigh. _I never really noticed before, but the sun feels nice._

_Make one for your personal usage, then,_ suggested Veni, sounding amused. _If you don't mind going to sleep for three days after._

_Oh, shut up._ The blonde king tilted his head a little, basking in the warm glow.

"Do you like the sun, Sara?"

He didn't have to look to know that it was Yuuri. "Mm."

"Me too." Saralegui could almost see the huge grin that accompanied the words. "Conrad says that it's because he dedicated my soul to the sun, but I really don't understand what he means by that…"

"Why don't you ask?"

"Well, I don't think it's very nice to… after all, he's, like, in love with my soul. Or he was. It belonged to the person he loved, anyway."

"How can souls get transferred around?" The blonde was genuinely curious.

"No idea. It was something to do with Shinou, I think. He's always doing weird things. Anyway, did I tell you that Conrad named me?"

"He did?"

"Yeah, he named me for the month July. It's kinda girly, but I like it."

"July?" It did seem to connect with the image of a sun. "It's a pretty name."

"Eh? You think so?" Yuuri sounded part disbelieving, part embarrassed, and part something-else-he-didn't-really-know. "Your name's pretty too, Sara."

This time Saralegui opened his eyes and turned his head to look at the soukoku who was lying beside him. The Maou met his gaze with his usual open expression and a wide smile. "Really."

"Thanks, Yuuri." _Nobody ever said that about my name before._

"_Yuuri_!" That was unmistakably Wolfram's voice, perfectly clear even though they were at least a quarter of a mile from the castle. "It's time for lunch! Stop wandering off randomly!"

"Coming!" Yuuri stood, dusting himself off, and then helped the other king up. "I wonder what they have for us?"

"I'm sure it'll be delicious," said Saralegui absently as he followed the Maou, glancing back longingly at the spot they had been resting in previously. It was a grassy hillside, smooth and gently sloping, one small area that was devoid of flowers and rocks as though made especially for sunbathing. "I look forward to the desserts in particular."

"Oh, so do I! Gunter thinks that I should eat more vegetables, but desserts are always better, don't you think?"

"_Yuuri_!" came the annoying yell again.

"Of course." _I wish I could shut that idiot up…_

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The girl he was currently dancing with, one Lady Izabella von something-he-couldn't-be-bothered-to-remember, fluttered her eyelashes sickeningly up at him. "It's amazing that you're a king when you're so young," she gushed. "I mean, our Maou was chosen by Shinou, so it's not really normal, but I always thought kings would be old and fat."

"I am sorry to have destroyed your image of a king," replied Saralegui, with a non-committal smile.

"Oh no! You're _much_ better. Kings are way better if they're young and pretty." She leaned closer, quite a feat when they were already pressed together far more closely than was comfortable for Saralegui.

The blonde surreptitiously put a little more distance between them. "How nice to see that you think so well of me."

He chanced a quick glance around the ballroom. Wolfram was dancing not too far away, watching him with something akin to a smirk. He was the one who had introduced this Lady Izabella to Saralegui. Yuuri, meanwhile, was twirling Greta around the dance floor – no help there. Cheri-sama and Gunter was chatting with some other members of the noble houses. For the moment, Saralegui could only recognize von Grantz and von Wincott. Conrad and Berias were watching from the shadows on opposite sides of the room, while the Great Sage and a cross-dressing Yozak danced together. Saralegui was on his own.

This was the big party, the one Gunter had planned to introduce the young king of Shou Shimaron to the rest of the important noble houses in Shin Makoku. Saralegui suspected that this was all orchestrated to keep him occupied and exhausted during his stay, so that he wouldn't have the time nor the energy to do anything potentially harmful to the Maou. Not that he had to do very much – Yuuri was clearly falling for him, if the amount of unnecessary time they spent together was any indication.

At last, the song ended, and Saralegui was freed of the protocols of dancing with the relative of a politically powerful person. Stepping away with more than a little relief, he bowed to the girl, voicing a falsely sincere thanks for the dance before quickly disappearing into the mass of dispersed couples. He didn't spare a backward glance at the very obviously disappointed Lady Izabella.

_You didn't _have_ to dance with her, did you?_ inquired Veni, sounding simultaneously amused and sympathetic.

_Wolfram practically shoved her onto me. The only diplomatic thing to do was dance with her,_ grumbled Saralegui. _He's so _unsubtly_ jealous, it makes me feel rather sick._

_Can you blame him? From what I can tell, he's been working on the Maou for a while without any progress, whereas you waltz in and sweep Yuuri away as easy as a song. He has every right to be jealous._

Saralegui was carrying Veni despite almost all the other men wearing ornamental swords at their belts. He wasn't going to take any chances; this was a prime time for Alazon to show up. Without Veni, he'd never stand a chance. Happily, Veni did look rather decorative, so nobody took much notice.

_Even so, he doesn't need to let the world know. It's just so… pathetic._

Sidestepping yet another bosomy woman, he found Greta and Yuuri. The Maou smiled brightly at him. "Are you having fun?"

"Of course. This party is quite marvelous," answered Saralegui, lying through his teeth. Though the party _was_ admittedly well-organized and well-hosted. As the next song began, he bowed to Greta, saying, "Princess, may I have the pleasure of this dance?"

Greta giggled, taking his extended hand. And at that precise moment, everything froze.

_Alazon's here,_ said Veni urgently, humming at Saralegui's hip.

The blonde let go of Greta's immobile hand. _Why aren't I frozen too?_

_I kept the spell from affecting you,_ answered the sword. _Believe me, it's not easy. She's powerful; it takes a lot to freeze time. Fortunately you have power related to time, or you'd be caught and I wouldn't be able to do anything about it._

A hand gripped his arm, and Saralegui turned to see a very anxious Yuuri. "Sara, what's happening? Why's everyone frozen?" The Maou poked at Greta, then glanced around at the eerily silent ballroom. Even the candle flames were still, not flickering as they normally would. "Murata!"

Turning, Saralegui noticed that the Great Sage had been frozen in the process of dodging one of the ladies, his hand outstretched and his face contorted in urgency.

Yuuri was now shaking the immovable statue of his friend. "Murata, speak to me!" When his efforts proved futile, he rounded on the other king. "What's going on, Sara?!"

"Alazon." Saralegui's face was a mask of seriousness. "She's come for us."

"Why? Wait, _who_?" Confusion was etched all over the younger boy's face.

"Alazon. She was my mother, before she disowned me," explained the blonde, very matter-of-fact. "I'm quite happy to be rid of her, to be honest. Who'd want a psychopath for a mother?"

_You're a psychopath yourself,_ chuckled Veni in the background.

"What? Okay, well, putting that aside… what does your mother have to do with… _this_?" Yuuri waved a hand to indicate the unnatural, tableau-like stillness around them.

"She stopped time to make things easier for herself, I guess." Saralegui shrugged. "This is all merely conjecture. I have no idea of her motives." Lying came so easily. "Still, it's obviously something to do with us, since we're the only ones unaffected by her spell."

The Maou spluttered. He was clearly having a hard time wrapping his head around all this information. "Stopped _time_?!"

"Yes. With the right power, it's possible." The older teen looked around. "She's taking a while, isn't she?"

As if on cue, the object of their interest floated in through one of the French windows.

"Alazon," growled Saralegui under his breath. The memory of a foot coming down on his chest resurfaced, tinted a bloody red. Maternal abuse was not something easily forgotten.

She drifted towards them, icy and merciless in the stark light of the moon, her face pale even when she entered the candlelight. If anything, she looked even more foreboding than he remembered. Yuuri took a step back, instinctively drawing closer to Saralegui. One always felt more able to face danger with a companion at one's side.

"Are you… Sara's mother?" ventured Yuuri as she landed in front of them and flicked one dancer out of the way.

A tight, false smile tweaked her lips. "Biologically, I must admit to having given birth to Saralegui." Turning her cold gaze on the blonde, she raised an eyebrow imperceptibly. "You managed to prevent my spell from affecting you, but you cannot win against me. The Holy Sword will not obey you as it would its true owner, the Maou."

_Nonsense,_ declared Veni. _You know you're my master, and together we can certainly defeat _her_. The only thing she has over you is experience._

_How?_ demanded Saralegui. _Just talking about it isn't going to help us!_

_Let your power go. I'll use it to break her hold on time, get it flowing again. Keep her distracted while I work on it, unless you want her to be in the next country with the Maou when time starts up again._

The blonde could already feel power leaving him – it was taking quite a bit just to keep the time spell's grip off himself. He clenched his jaw. _Go ahead._

_Wonderful. _Almost immediately, the drain of power from him increased sharply. Ignoring it, he faced Alazon again. He felt almost lost – his only weapon now was rhetoric.

"I'm sorry, but why are you here?" Yuuri was still very much in the dark.

The queen turned to him, somehow managing to inject despondency into her proud expression. "I am the queen of Seisakoku, the land of the Shinzoku. The land is dying, my people starving, ever since my useless son there stole our Holy Sword."

Yuuri blinked. "No way. Sara would never do that," he defended his friend.

The older boy jumped at the opportunity, grasping the soukoku's arm. "Don't listen to her, Yuuri. She's lying. The Holy Sword has been lost for decades. It only came into my possession a few weeks ago."

"The Holy Sword is the only thing that can save my country," continued Alazon, as though she'd never been interrupted. "My people are suffering. Only you, the Maou, can wield it and save them. I do not have the appropriate power."

"Oh." The soukoku brightened. "I'd love to help –"

"No!" Saralegui interrupted. "She's going to use you. The Holy Sword –" _make it up on the go, something, anything!_ " – It will consume the one who uses it to resurrect Seisakoku! The amount of power it requires is huge!"

"But I need to help," protested Yuuri. "People are suffering!"

Alazon smiled. It was eerily reminiscent to the smile of a predator that had cornered his prey. "Yes. You need to help me."

With a start, Saralegui realized that the air was humming with power. He'd been so caught up that he had actually failed to notice! It was oddly familiar… _The feeling when he was mesmerizing someone…_

Her gold eyes were turning blue already. Saralegui avoided her eyes sharply, though there was no need – she was completely focused on Yuuri. "You will help me. You will obey me," she purred, her voice suddenly compelling.

_Stop her, or you'll lose him! _screamed Veni in his mind.

Saralegui felt as though the cogs of his mind were churning sluggishly through thick syrup. He didn't want to lose Yuuri to his mother, but somehow it felt _wrong_ to mesmerize Yuuri himself.

_That's the only way to keep her from reaching his mind!_ warned Veni, very forcefully. _Hesitation has never been more inappropriate, you indecisive, wavering child!_

"You are _mine…_" whispered Alazon, smiling in fierce triumph.

The Maou rocked on his feet, pupils dilated. "I am yours," he repeated, a flat monotone.

Something snapped. In a blink of an eye, Saralegui was standing between his mother and Yuuri, sword drawn and humming in his hand. He glanced at the glowing blade in distant surprise – when had he even moved?

He felt as though his mind has split in two, one part coolly analyzing and strategizing, the other thrashing in irrational rage. The calmer part took charge of his actions; while the insane part drove his emotions. Every fiber of his being called for the blood of the woman before him, every part of him worked for that one goal.

The shimmering sword drew a blinding arc in front of him. Alazon shrieked in pain, clutching at her eyes – Veni had not been gentle in severing the hypnotic bond. Saralegui advanced on her, relentless, slicing through the barriers she threw up like a hot knife through butter.

A strong wind whipped up, grabbing at his hair and clothes. _Stop it,_ commanded the young king coldly. The wind died down immediately. A request of Veni brought a wave of heat crashing onto the woman before him – he saw the ripple of air, though he did not feel the heat. Alazon threw up a shield of bright light, not a moment too soon. The expanding air slammed against the shield, making it reverberate like a bell and boom like thunder.

Power was gathering around him, rippling the air in his immediate vicinity and bending light visibly around the glowing sword. In front of him, Alazon raised her staff, eyes narrowed. _Seems like she's finally taking me seriously._ Saralegui dimly noticed that even though they were still on the dance floor, there was an oddly clear area between him and Alazon. _Maybe the blast pushed them out of the way…_ Putting the thought out of the way, he focused once again on his target.

There was one moment of stillness as he and his opponent stared at each other, measuring, calculating. Then all hell broke loose as both unleashed their power simultaneously.

Light, heat, wind assaulted both of them. It was literally a case of fighting fire with fire, and Alazon's vast experience was clear. Without Veni, Saralegui would probably have lost within the first few minutes. As it was, he managed to keep up quite well.

_Defense, defense, defense. I don't want to defend, I want to attack!_ complained Saralegui.

Veni gave him an impression of exhilaration. _Open your mind, _sang the sword, its voice sounding different – louder, clearer and layered, almost a harmony of a thousand different voices chiming together. _Give me more. Trust me. She will not win this battle._

The young king obeyed, pulling in his consciousness until he was no longer a participant but an observer of the fight. Veni's presence expanded to fill the space he had given up. Saralegui felt rather like he had that time when his disembodied consciousness had floated at the edges of the Maou's aura – insubstantial, shadowed by a greater being, a greater presence, or several greater presences.

Perhaps a part of Veni's past wielders' souls or spirits would merge with the sword when they died, thought Saralegui. It wasn't impossible. Most things weren't, when enough power was involved.

Immense power roared through his body as the myriad mages that made up Veni's ancient spirit utilized their strength along with his. White light rayed out, turning the world into fiery brilliance for a long moment. Somewhere, somehow, something burst. Color and life surged around him – the time-freeze was broken.

Magical nets formed around him, snaring the attacks she threw at him, then closing in on her, trapping her. She fought them hard, her lips pressed thin with concentration and rage. He could tell what she was thinking – _you bastard, you ungrateful wretch I had the great misfortune to whelp, you creature that should never have existed…_

Suddenly, his body was plunging towards Alazon, stripping away her defenses and oblivious to any attacks. Veni, glowing with a fierce brilliance, burned through the last shield and buried itself hilt-deep in her chest.

A part of him, a very small part, keened. He ignored it. _Good job, _he told the sword. Triumph roared through his mind and body, and unknowingly, he bared his teeth in a feral grin.

Veni laughed maniacally, receding. _It's been too long since there was blood on my blade._

Saralegui recovered his mind and body as the sword's presence faded to what it had been before the battle. He stared at the body before him with distaste, planting a foot on her midriff and yanking the sword free. Blood spattered the floor in a wide arc, further staining the once-gleaming tiles that now pooled with rust-smelling fluid.

"Sara…"

He turned. Yuuri stared at him, eyes blank with shock and horror. Behind him gathered his court, free of the time-freeze and regarding him with accusation plain on their faces.

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**A/N:**** Exams are over, and I'm back! Sorry (again) for the very long wait. Now that I'm probably going to be less busy, I'll do my best to update more. I'm aiming to finish this ficcy by the end of this year! ^^ Cheer me on, folks!**

**Dear me, Veni has a sadistic streak. And Yuuri's gotten a glimpse of the not-so-nice side of Saralegui. I wonder what I shall do with that… -ponders- I personally had fun writing the very first bit of this chappie, the one where they talk about their names. Shameless fluff XD though killing his mother was also quite fun –evil laughter–**

**Please Review and let me know what you think!**


	10. Real Face

_**Ten: Real Face**_

(Recap)

"Sara…"

He turned. Yuuri stared at him, eyes blank with shock and horror. Behind him gathered his court, free of the time-freeze and regarding him with accusation plain on their faces.

(End Recap)

Gwendal's face was stonier than ever with anger. "Get out."

Saralegui frowned in the most regal manner he could muster. In his current state – drained of all but the last dregs of his houryoku and immensely exhausted – he was finding it difficult to stay on his feet, let alone argue with a massive crowd of hostile Mazoku. "Is that what you say to the person who has just saved your Maou's life?"

"Liar!" shouted Wolfram. "You tricked us the last time; you won't trick us again!"

The blonde king sighed, exasperated. "Alazon stopped time. Of course you couldn't have seen what happened. She tried to hypnotize Yuuri, and I stopped her."

"But Sara… she's your _mother_," said Yuuri, sounding worried and conciliatory at the same time. "Wasn't there any other way to solve it?"

"Yuuri, you were _hypnotized_," repeated Saralegui, as patiently as he could. He could feel a terrific headache building. "She could have forced you to do anything if I didn't stop her!"

"You killed your own _mother_," echoed Gwendal, his voice ominous.

Murata and Cherie stepped in. The bespectacled soukoku laid a placating hand on the Shinzoku boy's shoulder while Cherie took Gwendal's hand. "Why don't we hold a proper inquiry when everyone is in a calmer state of mind?" entreated Cherie. "What kind of hospitality are we showing to our guests?"

"I agree with Cherie-sama," said Murata. He gave Saralegui a searching look. "However, as the odds are highly against you, Your Majesty –" _He's using my title as an insult_, fumed the blonde –"we shall place our strongest security on you. Your bodyguard will be kept in a different place."

Conrad nodded, his expression hard. "Yes, that will probably be best." He glanced at Saralegui, conveying his opinion that Saralegui was highly dangerous and suspicious all too clearly in that short look.

The blonde king inclined his head in acknowledgement. "Thank you for your kind consideration. I am sure all will be made clear." _Well no, they'll never believe me, but I can't exactly say anything else…_

"Ladies and gentlemen, we apologize for this – occurrence," began Gunter, facing the rest of the gathered crowd. "We will…"

Saralegui missed the rest of speech as his ears suddenly filled with a hollow roaring and the world spun around him. Balance gone, he crumpled to his feet. The last thing he remembered before the unfathomable darkness took him was Yuuri shouting, "Sara!"

* * *

He woke up in the bed he'd occupied in Blood Pledge Castle the past few nights he'd been here. Upon realizing this, he couldn't suppress a sigh of relief. He'd had a feeling he'd be waking up in the deepest, darkest, dankest dungeon in Shin Makoku.

Sitting up, he felt a twinge as he noticed the acute absence of Berias. Berias _had_ left him before, but always with Saralegui's express permission (in most cases, command would be a better term), and never when Saralegui was faced with impending danger. Which was, he knew, was his current situation. How could one persuade a vast crowd that what he said was true if it had all happened during a time-stop?

Almost instinctively, he paused, waiting for the familiar thought-voice of Veni to give him an opinion, a reprimand, or even a dose of laughter to lighten his mood. After a moment of silence, he realized that he couldn't even feel the accustomed presence of the ancient sword in his mind.

_Where is Veni?!_

A sudden rush of panic accompanied the thought. In the time he'd spent with the old sword, a kind of bond had formed between them – a bond perhaps as deep, maybe even deeper than, the bond he had with Berias. The sword had become his friend, teacher, conspirator and above all was an immense reserve of power. Without Veni, without Berias, accused of murder in a probably hostile land, Saralegui felt fear close in on him from all sides, crushing, crushing…

_No!_ He had survived without Berias before. He had survived without Veni for much longer. He may not have them, but what he _did_ have were his brains and his wits. That was _something_. He would figure a way to persuade them.

It was this whole problem of the time-stop. There were no other witnesses to what had happened apart from Alazon, Yuuri and himself. Alazon was dead by his own hand. Yuuri had been hypnotized by Alazon. He was the only possible reliable source of information, and these people had no real reason to believe that what he said was true. Certainly, he had given them plenty of grounds on which to doubt him.

With a deep sigh, he lay back onto the bed. _Well, what exactly did the other people see to make them so hostile towards me?_

For the rest of the court, it must have appeared that one moment, Saralegui was talking to the Maou, about to dance with Greta, and the next, he was wielding a sun-bright sword in a mage-fight with a strange woman who had appeared from nowhere. After a tremendous display of power on both sides, he had killed the strange woman without any sign of hesitation, even grinning like the devil incarnate before withdrawing the blade from her body. And to top it all off, Yuuri had more or less announced that he'd just publically killed his mother, a fact that Saralegui would have preferred to be kept confidential.

It wasn't a very happy picture.

The Mazoku nobles were probably debating whether or not it was wise to continue sheltering a foreign king so ruthless as to kill his own mother, so close to the Maou himself. Really, this Shinzoku king must be some kind of trouble magnet – what had happened in Shou Shimaron, after all? Sure, maybe the king himself had saved the Maou from a fatal arrow – but wait! He was the one who had ordered the arrow to be shot in the first place! Oh, the treachery!

No, no. It wouldn't do him any good to keep thinking like this. Positive thinking was always a good booster for creative thinking… then again, desperation is the mother of invention. Saralegui smiled bitterly at the word _mother_. Perhaps positive was indeed the way to go after all.

Just then, there was a knock on the door. The blonde frowned, sitting up again. "Come in."

The door opened a crack, then slowly creaked open to reveal Yuuri – alone. Saralegui's eyebrows soared. "Yuuri…?"

"Sara." The soukoku looked uncertain. "Are you okay?"

"As 'okay' as I could be in this situation," replied the other king, donning his customary smile at once. "Do close the door, you're letting in a draught. Besides, aren't there supposed to be a regiment of guards outside my door?"

Yuuri's lips twitched, as though trying to smile and not quite making it. "I'm really not too sure about it myself. I was walking past and thinking I should really return this to you, then suddenly the guards started falling asleep…" He held out a sweetly familiar, golden sword and its scabbard.

"Veni," breathed Saralegui, eyes riveted to the beautiful old sword. Then, realizing what he'd said, he coughed gently. "Thank you so much, Yuuri. You don't know how grateful I am for this favor."

"Um, it's nothing, really," the soukoku demurred, scratching his head with his free hand in that awkward yet adorable way he always did. "I suppose you'd be wanting this back, right?"

"Yes, please," said the blonde, quickly swinging his legs out of the bed. Taking the sword, he felt the warm feeling of reassuming, rather as a man reassumes his wooden leg after a week without it. As soon as Yuuri's hands relinquished the sword, Saralegui heard Veni's familiar voice in his head. _Well, don't you think I'm great? A sword that can find its master on its own! How many of those do you think there are, eh?_

_Oh, stop praising yourself. It isn't at all becoming,_ he retorted, but with more than a little affection in his tone. Turning, he set Veni down on the room desk – he could hardly buckle it on over his pajamas. A small part of him wondered who had changed him from his bloodstained robes into these clean pajamas, and hoped that it was Berias rather than one of those fluttery servant girls.

"Uh… so, I guess I'll leave now," murmured Yuuri.

Saralegui looked at the other king. Something wasn't quite right with the Maou – Yuuri wasn't this hesitant, not even when Yozak pranced in fishnet stockings and caked makeup with Murata teasing and cracking dirty jokes every few minutes. He could usually be depended upon to make his opinions very clear. So what was the problem now?

"Yuuri, are you… scared of me?" inquired Saralegui, curious.

The younger boy started, actually jerking backwards a step. _Spot on_. "Eh? No, what makes you think that?"

"You've been on edge since you came in. Well, since before you came in," amended the blonde, leaning on the table and facing the other king. "You're stammering more than you normally would. You don't seem to want to get too close to me, either. Why?"

"I – well, I mean, you killed your _mother_. And – and you were _smiling_ when you did it!" Yuuri burst out. "That's just _wrong_, Sara! I thought you wanted a mother! That's what you said last time! I believed in you, Sara – even when everyone was saying that you couldn't be trusted, that you were a liar, I was sure you were telling the truth, at least to me. But – but after what you said – you –"

"She didn't want to be my mother. She disowned me," interrupted the older boy. "She hated me. When I first met her, she tried to kill me!"

"That doesn't give you an excuse to kill her!" argued the Maou. "She's your _mother_! Mothers can be irritating, they can nag you till you feel suffocated, they can do all kinds of strange things, but they're our _mothers_! They gave birth to us; they looked after us! How could you _kill_ her, Sara?!"

Now Saralegui was getting rather angry too. "Oh really? Well, Alazon told me that she _regretted_ giving birth to, I quote, a _useless, ungrateful wretch_ like me. She gave birth to me not because she wanted a child, but because she wanted more power! Once she realized I was of no use to her, she abandoned me like so much trash. What kind of mother is that?!"

"Well, she is still the person you owe your life to," said Yuuri, his expression mulish. "And she must have had some other reason. No real mother could ever do such terrible things to her own children. A mother's love is the most powerful thing in the world!"

"Yuuri, is her life more important, or is yours? I killed her to save _you_," the blonde pointed out. "Had I not stopped her, you would have spent the rest of your life in servitude to her. I simply could _not_ stand by and see a friend of mine suffer such a fate!"

"So friends are more important to you than your own family?" lashed the Maou. "Your priorities –"

"Yes, my friends _are_ more important than my family!" Saralegui cut in. "My parents abandoned me, but my friends – Berias, and you – were there for me when I needed you. My mother never appeared at any of the myriad times my life was in danger. My father was cold, aloof, above worrying about mundane family matters. Parents? I had none, if they are to match your previous description! The maids took care of me. Berias taught me. I had no love or care from my parents; I have only their titles and physical legacy."

Yuuri's mouth opened, as though he wanted to say more, then closed again as he deflated. His anger-bright eyes dimmed; his energy seemed to vanish. "I'm sorry, Sara. I didn't realize… I thought…"

The blonde clenched his fists tightly, then let them fall. "It's okay. I didn't expect you to. You and I – we are too different to truly understand each other, I think."

"Don't be so pessimistic! Remember, we're friends," encouraged the soukoku, apparently having easily left his role of lecturer to return to his accustomed role of friend. "Even if we don't completely understand each other, we should always keep trying. Maybe someday we'll succeed; even if we don't, at least it's better than not having tried at all." Reaching out, he took Saralegui's hand a squeezed reassuringly.

"… have all the parents you've ever known always been so nice?" The older boy fought to keep his voice neutral, but his tone still came out wistful. He did not let go of Yuuri's hand.

The Maou shrugged. "Mine are awesome; I've told you about them before. But, well, I've heard of people in the news… parents who lock their kids in dark rooms their whole lives, parents who abuse their kids, parents who sell them… I've never personally met anyone like that before, though. Not that I want to."

Saralegui's grip tightened. Somehow, hanging on to Yuuri was like hanging on to a lifeline – to what, or why, he had no idea. "You shouldn't. It's a terrible experience. Yuuri, I – do you think your people will believe me? Us? I don't want to be sent back to Shou Shimaron, not yet."

"Don't worry. They'll believe me, for sure," declared the younger boy confidently. "They always do. I'll make sure they don't send you home. Why, you've barely begun to appreciate Shin Makoku! I was planning on a trip to –" The rest of his words were cut off as the blonde wrapped both arms around him in a bone-crushingly tight hug. "Um, Sara?"

"Sorry," murmured the other king. "Just… let me do this for a moment, will you?" For some reason, Yuuri's reassurances had unleashed a completely unexpected rush of pure happiness, closely followed by a strong _need_. He didn't recognize this emotion – it was neither desire nor even possessiveness, but something more like vulnerability and a craving for protection.

After a beat, Yuuri relaxed, awkwardly putting his arms around the older boy. "… Yeah, it's okay," he mumbled. A few seconds later, he added, "I don't want you to go back, either."

Saralegui had a feeling that if he could see the Maou's face at that moment, the younger boy would probably be blushing. He grinned. "Yuuri…" Pulling away slightly, he faced the soukoku. "Thanks."

And then, because Yuuri was just so adorable with his hair mussed and his cheeks pink, Saralegui kissed him.

As he'd expected, Yuuri went stiff and tried to move away, but the blonde simply locked his arms and held on, tracing the younger boy's lips with his tongue. _It's been too long since…_

Finally, the Maou responded, opening his mouth slightly and tentatively extending his own tongue. Saralegui smiles without breaking contact. _He's mine, now._

* * *

Thanks to Veni, nobody had walked in on them, but Saralegui was still inexplicably pleased that they had not progressed beyond kissing. He still wasn't too sure how he felt towards this new relationship of not-quite-friends anymore. From what he could tell, Yuuri too was not sure how to handle it or himself.

But one thing was for sure – Yuuri was on his side, and would defend him against the Mazoku court.

That, coupled with his reacquisition of Veni, had effectively rid him of his fears. Now that he had a clearer mind to consider things, he decided to find out how long he'd actually been sleeping since the battle with Alazon.

_How long?_ he inquired of Veni.

_Three days and a number of hours,_ replied the sword. _I believe you will have to finish your business here as soon as possible. You've been away from your own country for almost a fortnight already._

_Don't nag,_ admonished the blonde king. _I will return when I have done what I must, which is to forge an alliance with Shin Makoku._

_What were you doing just now, if not forming an alliance?_ Inquired Veni, amusement strongly evident in the thought-voice.

Saralegui grinned. _Well, that was the first step._

With a better idea of the situation, he started to dress for the day, though he doubted that he'd be allowed out of the room for anything apart from the Mazoku court's inquiry. Since Yuuri had left not long ago, they would probably know that he was awake by now. If they required his presence, he would be summoned soon. If not, he would be released soon on Yuuri's testimony. He should at least be appropriately clothed.

Once dressed, he selected a book from the shelf (A Complete History of Shin Makoku) and settled down to wait until someone came for him.

He didn't have to wait long. About two hours later, there was a knock on the door, and he went to answer it.

The person who awaited him was none other than Gunter. "Your presence is requested in the Third Audience Chamber," he informed Saralegui.

"Very well. Has the inquiry begun yet?" the blonde asked, blandly polite.

Gunter's face was impassive. "It has finished already."

Saralegui raised an eyebrow, taking care not to appear too cynical. "I see."

"His Majesty Yuuri has vouched for your innocence. He has explained to the court that your mother, Queen Alazon, was a dangerous person and had been trying to attack both of you. The court decided that you must have acted in self-defense," continued the Mazoku. "However, they still have their reservations."

"And what may those be?" inquired the young king, keeping his tone mildly curious.

"You will find out for yourself when we arrive," was the rather unhelpful answer.

The Third Audience Chamber was a fair distance from Saralegui's rooms, but after this exchange, the pair spent the rest of the journey in silence. The blonde took advantage of this to consider the possible outcomes. They couldn't possibly do very much to him now, could they?

_Politics are dirty, and politicians even more so. You should prepare yourself for the worst,_ advised Veni, at his proper place at Saralegui's hip.

_I know. I'm a politician too, after all,_ answered the young king, concealing a smile.

At last, they arrived at their destination. Gunter nodded to the guards at the door as a footman opened it. Saralegui's eyes widened as he saw the interior of the room. It was huge, as big as his own throne room, and somberly but elegantly and richly decorated in the Mazoku style. It was full of people. _And this is only the _Third_ Audience Chamber,_ he thought, mentally shaking his head. _I wonder what the _First_ Audience Chamber looks like…_

A herald tapped his staff against a bronze disk next to the door. "His Majesty, King Saralegui of Shou Shimaron. His Grace, Gunter von Christ."

The blonde king walked down the length of the room, holding himself confidently. _The Maou's on my side. They can't touch me._ When he reached the large throne where Yuuri sat, he did not bow, though he did nod and smile at the other boy. _I am a king as well._

Clearly, the nobles in the room did not like this display of familiarity between their Maou and this upstart of a foreign king. The panel of nobles seated on the raised platform on either side of the throne, probably the High Court for Shin Makoku – Saralegui was surprised to see that they were not a collection of the oldest, fustiest and most crotchety nobles, but were actually quite youthful in appearance – frowned simultaneously. He restrained a chuckle.

_You're being overconfident, child,_ reprimanded Veni. _You won't make yourself any friends among these people, the way you're going._

_As long as the Maou's on my side, they can't do anything,_ retorted Saralegui.

Looking at Yuuri more closely, though, he realized that the soukoku didn't look particularly happy. The smile he gave Saralegui was altogether too forced to look real. The blonde felt a twinge of discomfort, and wondered what was to come.

It wasn't long before he knew. "Your Majesty Saralegui," began Murata, "the High Court has decided that you must leave Shin Makoku within the week."

* * *

**A/N: OMG I am **_**so**_** sorry for not having updated for so long! It's been what, a month? More? Well, whatever it is, I know that I took much longer than I should have. I think it might have ended up rather draggy throughout, but there you go, writer's block is not a nice thing.**

**SaraleguiXYuuri fluffiness. Hope you enjoyed it!**

**Please Review!**


	11. FARAWAY

_**Eleven: FARAWAY**_

(Recap)

It wasn't long before he knew. "Your Majesty Saralegui," began Murata, "the High Court has decided that you must leave Shin Makoku within the week."

(End Recap)

Saralegui's smile froze on his face. _Leave?! No! Not now! Why now?_

A moment passed before he could gather his composure again. "I would like to request of the High Court as to what the charge is," he said, mask back in place and smiling politely at the huge assembly of nobles.

The officials twitched and murmured, clearly unsure of how to judge a king directly to his face. Even though his country was much smaller than Shin Makoku and could not affect them militarily or economically, he was still a king, and as they had unwillingly observed, he was powerful mage. The fact that they could probably bring him down in a combined, concerted effort did not seem to have occurred to them.

At last, one of the nobles on the dais who looked remarkably like Wolfram spoke up. "Following the occurrence in the ballroom last night that a large portion of this court can bear witness to, we have established that you are a dangerous individual, in possession of a powerful magical artifact. After hearing His Majesty Yuuri's account of what happened, the court has decided not to press charges, but we would like you to leave as soon as you may at our behest."

"I see." Saralegui kept his voice bland. "Thank you for your kind decision, but I am afraid that I cannot abide by your request."

"Why not?" inquired another noble with bright magenta hair who sat next to the Wolfram lookalike.

"I am here in Shin Makoku for diplomatic reasons," explained the blonde king. "That is, I represent Shou Shimaron in our desire to forge closer relationships with Shin Makoku and the countries allied to it." A beat, then, with a particularly sweet smile, "With the death of my mother, I also represent Seisakoku, with the same purpose."

The muttering broke out again, more intense than before. Yuuri, however, looked hopeful. "Um, Gunter, why don't we go along with that? I'd be really happy if Saralegui joins our alliance. I mean, _two_ more countries! That's wonderful!" His voice rang out clearly over the murmured conference of the other nobles.

There was a pause. "Well, that… changes things," remarked Wolfram-the-elder-version, sounding very displeased with this particular change. "Your Majesty Yuuri, please remember that this is an important decision that you are making."

"I know that," argued the soukoku. "But Sara – Saralegui – _is_ here for the alliance. I believe him! And the alliance will be good for all of us!"

"Your Majesty Saralegui, have you taken Dai Shimaron's inevitable displeasure into account when making this request?" growled Gwendal, also on the dais. "Do not think you can lie to us. Each member of this council is fifty times your age."

"I'm not," piped Yuuri.

"With the exception of His Majesty Yuuri," amended the grizzled Mazoku grudgingly.

"Why would you think I am lying?" asked Saralegui, pretending to be shocked. "It is the truth. If you wish, I could provide you with the documents from my court proving my purpose here. Moreover, I had thought that Yuuri had already informed the court of the truth behind the proceedings of the unpleasant incident at last night's ball."

The court winced collectively at his familiar use of the Maou's first name. "We… have heard," said the Wolfram lookalike. Saralegui had already decided that this person must be a very highly ranked noble, probably the head of the court in the absence of the Maou. He also sounded _very_ unconvinced. "However, we have… reason to doubt His Majesty Yuuri's account, as he also mentions that he was hypnotized by your mother at some point. Begging Your Majesty's pardon," he added, with a brief glance at Yuuri.

"It's the truth!" protested Yuuri. "I saw her fighting Sara! And she definitely did something strange to me, like, she started talking to me and then everything went fuzzy and I wasn't quite there anymore…"

"Precisely. You were in no shape to have had a clear understanding of what was happening," declared the blonde noble. "That is why we have issue with your account of the matter."

"If I may make a suggestion?" ventured Saralegui politely.

The court's collective gaze fell onto him again. "What is it?"

"We could negotiate the trade and alliance agreements within the week, I'm sure, if we put our best efforts into it," said the blonde king. "After that, I will leave of my own accord. I believe the terms given earlier were for me to leave at the end of the week, and that should be sufficient time for us all."

Yuuri nodded decisively. "Yes. Let's do that. I think that's the best plan." The court mumbled in dissatisfaction, and the Maou shot them an exasperated look. "Sara, wait for me in your room? I'll sort it out here."

Saralegui gave the soukoku the best, most brilliant smile he could muster. "Thanks, Yuuri."

**xXxXx**

At first, it was clear that Mazoku council were under the impression that he, like their own Maou, was the kind of king who only did the flashy diplomatic things (and several less diplomatic things alongside) while leaving the actual nitty-gritty of the economy, development and so on to his council of nobles. They thought he would be a pushover when it came to agreeing on seemingly inconsequential figures, such as the number of trading ships expected and the taxes levied. They couldn't have been more mistaken.

Saralegui had been groomed for the throne practically from birth. He had councilors, yes, but he never trusted them as far as he could throw them. He might have started off the negotiations at a disadvantage, but that did not mean he could not drive a hard bargain.

It helped immeasurably that the Maou was present in all the meetings. He was clearly bored out of his mind by the proceedings. A little extended-hearing work told the blonde king that Yuuri generally avoided meetings of this sort like the plague, and his presence was throwing the Mazoku nobles slightly off their pace. Everyone guessed that Yuuri was there primarily to give moral support to the other king, and although Saralegui never thanked him aloud in case he got scared off, he was unspeakably grateful.

After a mind-numbingly frustrating week struggling against the cold disdain of the Ten Nobles, Saralegui finally managed to hammer out an agreement between Shou Shimaron and Shin Makoku. The nobles had declared that Seisakoku would not be acknowledged until Saralegui could provide the relevant documents as proof of his succession.

On the last day before he boarded the ship back to Shou Shimaron, Saralegui went with Yuuri for a ride through the countryside. It was the last time they could be together for a while, until the Maou managed to talk his nobles around.

Naturally, they weren't alone. Berias and Conrad accompanied their respective kings, though from a discreet distance to allow the two youths some privacy.

"I don't like having to be away from you for so long," complained Yuuri. "I mean, really, who's the Maou around here?"

"It's okay," consoled Saralegui. "Come to Shou Shimaron as soon as you can. I'll wait for you there. When you come, we'll visit to Seisakoku together."

The Maou smiled brightly. "I'd love that! Have you ever been there before? What's it like?"

"Well, I was born there, I think, but I don't remember it at all," explained the blonde. "Berias told me about it, though. He said that it was a bountiful land where everyone was happy… until the Holy Sword was stolen."

"Holy Sword… You mean Veni there?" Saralegui had introduced the soukoku to the sword already, and in return had been introduced to Yuuri's Morgif. He privately felt that Veni was better than the strange demon sword any day. That thing was _ugly._

"Yes, Veni. It was stolen by raiders centuries ago, I think. They brought it out of Seisakoku, not knowing the full extent of its powers, and into human lands. Alazon left my father and I to search for it," added Saralegui grimly.

Yuuri's eyes grew sad. "Oh, dear. That's… sad. Why was it so important?"

"The Holy Sword is what makes the soil of Seisakoku fertile and shields its people from disease. It _is_ called Holy for a reason," the blonde informed him, chuckling slightly. "Without it, the water dried up; the land turned brown and cracked. It took centuries to reach that state, as the rulers and priests poured their power into keeping the land alive, but in the end they too ran out of power."

"Why?" The Maou seemed genuinely curious.

"The houryoku of the Shinzoku comes from the Holy Sword," replied Saralegui. "Over the decades, with no renewal from the Holy Sword, the magic in everything slowly depleted. Power could only be gained from others. It's a dark time – people kill each other to absorb their houryoku and life-force, so that they can survive just a little longer in the dead country."

Most of this was, naturally, conjecture on Saralegui's part, based on Berias' information. He hadn't actually interrogated Veni yet about Seisakoku, being much more interested in the houjutsu the sword could teach him.

"That's terrible!" exclaimed Yuuri. "You must go there and return Veni at once! I'm sorry for keeping you here so long –"

"No, no, it's not your fault," Saralegui reassured hurriedly. "I'm here because I want to be here. Right now, I have no idea what kind of reception I might receive in Seisakoku – I did kill their queen. Besides, the trade agreements were real."

"Oh." The soukoku calmed down a little, though he didn't seem completely at ease. "You still should go."

Saralegui sighed. "I will, as soon as I can. But I need your help."

Yuuri blinked, nonplussed. "I'll be happy to help, but how?"

"I can't return life to the land," explained the blonde. "My powers are too different. From what I've heard –" he hadn't told Yuuri of how he could communicate with Veni, and wasn't planning to do so in the near future "– the Holy Sword must be wielded by one who has power related to nature – in other words, power over water, air, earth. I have only a little influence over air, and nothing for the other two."

"I can control water and earth," ventured the soukoku. "Or at least, the Maou can. So that's what you need me for?"

"You could say that," agreed the older king.

"But I'm not sure I can become the Maou when you need me to," protested Yuuri. "I usually only change when I'm angry."

"It'll be fine," said Saralegui firmly.

Before Yuuri could object further, Berias and Conrad caught up with their young charges. "Your Majesty, it's time for lunch. We should return to the palace," said Berias.

Giving the Maou a meaningful look, Conrad added, "Wolfram will not be happy if you're late."

The soukoku threw up his hands in defeat. "Okay, okay, let's go back. I'm _hungry_… hope there's that awesome cheesecake they gave us yesterday…"

Saralegui laughed along with the others, patting himself on the back for successfully persuading his fellow king to his cause. Even as he waved back to the company that had come to see them off – Yuuri had insisted on it – he didn't worry too much. No matter what the rest of the Mazoku said, he would have Yuuri at his side when the time came.

**xXxXx**

Three months had passed before Saralegui could sail for Seisakoku. Many things had delayed his departure – conferences and arrangements with his nobles and merchants about the new agreements with Shin Makoku, coming up with a suitable reason to leave for this unknown destination, and finding out exactly where Seisakoku was.

After all, Seisakoku had sealed itself from the rest of the world for almost a millennium. The only people to find it were pirates and the occasional trading vessel lost at sea. No maps included it. Saralegui had to work from Berias' memory of his voyage from there to Shou Shimaron before he could even begin to estimate its location.

But eventually it was done, and they could set sail within a few days once the notice was given. Saralegui retreated his room after a long day of research and planning, preparing for a little chat with Veni.

_Do you think it would be a really, really bad idea if I teleported him here?_ he asked.

Being in his mind, there was no need to clarify who exactly 'he' meant to Veni. The sword's thought-voice dripped with sarcasm. _No, certainly not. His advisors wouldn't be in the least worried if their precious Maou vanished without a trace for months on end. It would be the least thing on their minds._

_Yuuri says that sometimes he goes back to that 'Earth' place without warning and for weeks at a time because of, as he says, 'time lag' and what I believe is an inability to control his arrival time. It would be a perfectly sound excuse,_ argued Saralegui.

_Well, if it's all so well-thought-out – by the way, don't think I don't know you've been thinking about this. Just because I'm not talking doesn't mean I don't listen to what goes on in here,_ warned Veni. _If it's all so well-thought-out, why are you discussing this with me?_

The young king chuckled. _I like you to think I _do_ include you in the decision-making process_, he replied playfully._ Well, to be honest, I just felt that discussing it made it seem more… legit, I guess._

_Discussion or not, it's still a kidnapping,_ said Veni, as tartly as a mind-voice could sound.

Saralegui sighed. _Okay, it's because I need your help to do the teleporting and you won't do it if you're not happy with me,_ he admitted. _Please?_

The sword gave the impression of a sigh, much more heartfelt than Saralegui's. _You do remember that it is taxing, don't you? And Shin Makoku is no mean distance. A round trip will probably cost you at least two days in bed. For the matter, how do you plan to explain _teleportation_ to the Maou?_

That was a painfully valid point, which Saralegui had ignored thus far precisely because it was so inconvenient. He paused. _I guess I'll have to hypnotize him through it…?_

_Then how will you explain to him how he arrived in Shou Shimaron?_ continued the sword, merciless. _You can't hypnotize him forever. Not just in moral terms – the teleportation will cost your power, and you may not have enough to maintain a hypnotism after that draining. Tell him the truth, young one. You'll have to eventually, if you ever want to really be sure he can trust you and you him._

Saralegui bit his lip. Tell Yuuri the truth? Did he trust the soukoku enough? True, the Maou had seen his power during the fight with Alazon, but he had been mesmerized at the time. Surely the full extent of his power was something best left to the imagination.

_What is there to be scared about? Remember, he is the _Maou_. He wields fearful power in his own right,_ Veni reminded him. _Besides, if you were as nonchalant about him as you keep insisting, why should you care so much about whether he gets scared and wants to keep a distance from you when he finds out? _it added, mischief creeping into its mind-voice.

_Oh, whatever._ Saralegui wryly conceded the point. The sword knew that the not-relationship between the two young kings was a sore point for the blonde. _Fine. I'll tell him the truth. Now will you teleport me there?_

_What time do you want to arrive there?_ Inquired the sword. _It's evening here, but it's midafternoon over there._

Saralegui blinked. He'd never realized there was such a thing as a time difference between different countries. It had never been important because the time difference occurred slowly along the sea journey, but clearly it did matter when it came to teleportation.

_Shall we say… about daybreak?_ The annoying blonde fiancée apparently slept in the same room as Yuuri, but Saralegui would rather take his chances than search all over the castle for the Maou at any other time of the day. Daybreak in the Maou's bedroom was the most likely bet.

_Okay then, let's go. Hold tight._ The world began to spin around him, first slowly, then faster, until it was a blur of meaningless colors. Saralegui felt himself dissolving into that whirl of nothing and everything and time and nothing and he was everywhere, nowhere, there was no _him_, just consciousness that spread and flowed like the rest of the world swirling around an unidentifiable point.

After what felt like ages, or maybe a few seconds – time meant nothing (and everything) in that void – Saralegui felt himself reforming from the dregs of self, pulling out of the endless spinning of time and space to land on reassuringly solid stone. He willed his brain to stop rattling and, once it obeyed, looked around to get his bearings.

Veni had been spot-on – he was in Yuuri's bedroom in Blood Pledge Castle, all right. Saralegui had been here on several occasions during the last visit, much to the displeasure of Yuuri's self-proclaimed fiancée. Not that Saralegui and Yuuri had done anything remotely _improper_. The fiancée was always getting his underwear in a twist the moment Saralegui so much as _looked_ at Yuuri. He'd visited only as part of the tour of the castle, and for what Yuuri called 'hanging out', which generally involved both of them sprawling in various spots around the room and talking about nothing in particular. Saralegui had liked those 'hanging out' sessions, which was why he remembered the bedroom so well.

_Speaking of the fiancée…_ Saralegui glanced at the bed. There was only one shape on it, one with black hair visible from under the pillows and duvet, so it appeared that the annoying blonde hadn't slept with the Maou that night. Saralegui felt irrationally pleased by that knowledge.

He pushed himself to his feet and moved swiftly over to the bed. Yuuri was indeed alone; not even Greta was there. That was a little odd, but Saralegui decided not to dwell on it. Instead he nudged the sleeping Maou. "Yuuri."

Yuuri burrowed deeper into the pillows. "Mmmh… stop kicking me, Wolfram…"

Saralegui leant closer, repeating his whisper directly into the soukoku's ear. "Yuuri…"

The other king twitched, his forehead wrinkling for a split second before his eyes flew open. "… Sara?!"

"Shhh!" The blonde quickly hushed him, simultaneously sending out a wave of houryoku to mute the room to anyone who might be eavesdropping outside. "Good morning, Yuuri."

"Wh-what are you doing here?" Yuuri sat up quickly, his face flaming. "Why – how – Wolfram, Greta, wake up – oh, they're not here. Sara, how –"

"Shhh," repeated the other king, soothingly. "I'll explain everything later. Firstly, though, Yuuri – do you remember your promise to help me save Seisakoku?"

The soukoku nodded, slowly at first, then more confidently. "Yes, I said I'd help save your country using Veni, right?"

"You remembered," breathed Saralegui, relieved. Yuuri seemed as forgetful as he was clumsy, and he'd been worried he'd have to persuade the other king all over again. Gathering himself, the blonde smiled in what he hoped was a suitably pathetic, hopeful, sweet manner. "Do you think you could come right now?"

"N-now?" Yuuri exclaimed. "B-but I can't just _leave_ without telling anyone –"

"You said before that you go back to your home, Earth, without warning and for long periods at a time," the blonde pointed out. "Can't you say that's what happened? Nobody would know the difference."

The Maou frowned. "I can't lie to them like that. Besides, I can only travel back and forth from Earth with Shinou and Murata's help. Murata will know. I'll tell them all properly."

"Yuuri, _please_." There was no way the Mazoku would let their king leave with him, not when the incident of his killing Alazon still fresh in their minds. If he didn't take Yuuri now…

There was a short pause as the two young kings stared at each other, bewildered dark eyes and pleading gold eyes meeting. The soukoku was the first to break the connection, closing his eyes with a sad smile. "Sorry, Sara, but I can't."

"Please," repeated the blonde, a note of desperation in his voice that he did not try to hide.

"No." The Maou's voice was soft but firm. "I can't do that to them. Conrad, Wolfram, Murata… they would be worried sick. I can't make them go through that kind of pain; I can't lie to them like this. Sara… I care about you, and I want to help you, but please, don't make me lie to my friends."

"I thought I was your friend," whispered Saralegui. He felt as though a glass wall had appeared between him and the other king, even while he gripped Yuuri's hands in his own. His chest felt constricted, as though a heavy weight had settled on it.

Rejection.

There were three things Saralegui hated and feared most in the world.

Those were being ignored, being scorned, and being rejected by people he cared about.

For a brief moment, Saralegui seriously considered hypnotizing the other king, and to hell with the consequences.

_But then we'll never _really_ be friends._

"I _am_ your friend," the soukoku reassured him. "But they are my friends too. Talk to them, Sara. If you explain everything to them, I'm sure they'll be fine."

The blonde shook his head, stamping down the creeping beginnings of hysteria. "They'll never let me bring you with me. They'll probably kill me for invading your bedroom unannounced," he said frankly.

"They won't!" protested Yuuri. "And how _did_ you come, anyway? You still haven't told me."

"I'll tell you next time," replied the other king, recovering enough composure to put on a smile, though it felt even more artificial than usual. "_I'm_ surprised that your daughter and fiancée aren't with you."

"Oh, Greta's visiting Anissina's home in Karbelnikoff and Cheri-sama took Wolfram to join her on her love cruise two days ago. He's not back yet, probably having lots of fun…" Yuuri gave his characteristic self-deprecating laugh, and Saralegui felt his smile become just a little less forced.

"That's nice," said Saralegui, because their absence was definitely good for him. "Yuuri, I… I'll come back another time. I'll do all the proper things, so your council won't be angry with me again."

The soukoku laughed again, still sheepishly. "They're not angry at you, Sara."

They both knew that that was a lie. Saralegui's smile became tinged with sadness. "Yuuri, just promise me that you'll definitely come with me. Please."

"Of course I will! Your people are suffering in Seisakoku, aren't they? I'll definitely do everything I can to help them!" The Maou grinned, brimming with confidence. "It's the least I can do to help a friend!"

"Yuuri…" Impulsively, Saralegui reached across the glass wall between them, his hand caressing the soukoku's jawbone. Yuuri blinked, surprised, as Saralegui leaned even closer. Gently as a butterfly's wing, their lips brushed, barely more than a fleeting touch of warmth. "Thank you," he whispered, their faces less than an inch apart.

"S-sara…" Yuuri stared at him, dark eyes enormous, a blush rising fast in his cheeks.

"I'll see you soon, Yuuri," said the blonde, releasing the other king and standing up straight. _Veni?_

_Back we go then,_ responded the sword. Houryoku built, flaring into visible light.

"Sara, wait! What – why did you –" The soukoku struggled for words, clearly still flustered.

"See you soon, Yuuri." Saralegui let his body and consciousness slip into the increasingly familiar space-time void, but not without a last smile at the other king.

The return to self was less of an enjoyable experience as it had been earlier. Saralegui stumbled to his own bed, exhausted beyond words, and collapsed onto the sheets. Bitterly, he asked, _Why?_

_Young one, I know that rejection is a most unpleasant feeling. It's not your fault that you expected him to be as amenable as always, but people have certain boundaries. At least you know where his are now,_ said Veni, in what it probably considered a reassuring manner.

Saralegui did not feel particularly reassured. _Why am I_ _worth less than his _other_ friends?!_ he screamed mentally.

_That's not it,_ the sword replied patiently. _You are overwrought, Saralegui. Getting worked up over it now will be of no help to anyone, least of all to you. Go to sleep, and see if the light of day brings greater understanding._

_Berias,_ thought the young king. _I need to, to get him to send a letter to Shin Makoku, get the ship ready – Berias!_ That last he amplified with his power, reaching out for his faithful bodyguard's familiar presence. It seemed much further away than usual, and he barely managed to touch the golden aura that was Berias in his mental vision.

The bodyguard, however, knew his charge's touch when he felt it, no matter how weak it was. Seconds later, there was a knock on the door, and Berias came in without waiting for a response. It was just as well, because Saralegui was fairly sure that audible speech was beyond his capabilities at that present moment.

_Berias… get the ship ready to sail for Shin Makoku. Send a formal letter to the Maou to tell him we are coming in peace to request his assistance. _The dark well of sleep tugged at him, relentlessly closing him in. _And… don't let anyone near my room until I say otherwise._

_Yes, Your Majesty._ Dimly, Saralegui felt Berias gently removing his spectacles, boots and belts, and then covering him with the duvet. At last, he let himself fall into the inviting depths of unconsciousness.

Yuuri's huge, dark eyes continued to haunt him, even though his sleep was dreamless.

**xXxXx**

**A/N: Hello…? Is anyone still out there? Sorry for abandoning this fic for sooooooo long. It's been what, two years?! Real life and other fandoms have been extremely distracting. But I was just having a nostalgic relook at my old account and decided that I really ought to tie up all the loose ends I have lying around here. What with my renewed love for Saralegui, Shades of Violet became the first candidate.**

**University applications make this an absolutely terrible time to be off writing fics but I will do my best to complete this fic. It might be a little too much to expect many readers, but I really want to have a fictional monument to our blonde pretty-boy king to stand against the various Sara-bashing fics out there. He deserves all the love he can get from his vastly outnumbered fans.**

**Updates will be much less frequent than before but please hang in here with me! Thanks to any and all who have stuck with me thus far, and also for reading this very long A/N. ^^; Reviews would be love!**


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